A Sweet Revenge
by Jude Rigby
Summary: Dylan finds herself in danger from a person from her past and a familiar face is there to help and protect her DylanxThin Man .
1. I: After HALO Dylan

A Sweet Revenge  
  
I.  
After HALO  
Dylan  
  
I entered my house a little after eleven o'clock that night. I had been out with Natalie and Alex, solving our latest case.  
It had been a robbery and kidnapping situation. A wealthy tourist and her jewelry were taken and her husband went to Charlie for help. It had taken a week, but the three of us solved the case and found the wife alive and her jewels.  
Entering the kitchen, I walked over to the pantry and took out a nutrition bar and a power drink. It wasn't a very good dinner, but I was way too exhausted to put something together to eat.  
I poured the drink into a glass filled with ice and headed up to my room. I put the glass on my nightstand and the nutrition bar next to it. Then I headed into the bathroom for a quick shower.  
Once I was finished with that, I sat against the bed's headboard and tried to eat. But, as usually was the case when I tried to eat in my room, I was bother by the necklace that was under my shirt. I sighed and tossed the quarter-eaten bar into the trash and pulled the necklace out.  
I ran a finger over the necklace's medallion and closed my eyes. Before I could stop myself, I felt the tears make their way down my cheeks.  
I was never a tearful woman. Having to deal with Seamus and my job as an Angel forced me to create a façade that made me appear tough and unemotional. Not that many things have broken through that façade, but the death of the Thin Man, or Anthony, did just that.  
After the ME:2 premiere, I hade come home and only was able to get as far as the middle of the staircase before I collapsed on the floor, sobbing. Later that night, when the tears finally stopped, I kept dreaming of when Anthony saved me from one of Seamus' thugs, kissed me and then was killed by Seamus. I woke up screaming, after watching Anthony fall from the roof-his own sword plunged deep into his chest. After I was able to stop screeching, I got out of bed and went on the balcony and sat on the cold floor, crying again.  
It was then, sitting on the balcony and watching the sky in the west lighten, that I realized that I had fallen in love with Anthony. And when I thought this, I burst into tears again, knowing that I would never be able to tell him that. Or even see whether or not Anthony and I could have really gotten along together.  
After the HALO case, Charlie gave us all a well-deserved vacation. During that time I rarely slept at night because of my dreams about Anthony's death. And sometimes during the day, I would find myself staring into space, think about Anthony's kiss and how much I wanted to do it again. Whenever I caught myself doing that, I would just shake my head and think to myself "I shouldn't think about him that way. After all, he did try to kill me and my friends quite a few times." And then another voice would say, "But there's also the fact he saved your life when you fought Madison Lee. And he also kissed you like he really meant it." At that point I found something to keep me busy, or else I would go crazy trying to debate to myself if there could have been something between me and Anthony.  
Eventually, while I was on that vacation, I developed a kind of 'ritual' before I would go to sleep (or try to anyway). Somehow, I had ended up with Anthony's necklace he had gotten from the orphanage. I would eventually come to wear it all the time, even when I had to go in disguise, it was something that I need to have on me at all times.  
Anyway, I would go out onto the balcony and sit cross-legged in the chair I had placed out there. Then I would hold the medallion in my hand and allow myself to cry, while I thought about Anthony. It became a kind of release for me, I would hold in the tears all day because I had a job to do and couldn't waste any time on tears.  
Now, six months after HALO, I still dream about Anthony's death, but I don't wake up screaming as much as I used to. I think Alex, Natalie and Bosley notice that I have been more depressed since Anthony's death, but they don't say anything. Now, instead of crying in the chair on the balcony, I would cry while I sat on my bed, and thankfully I would only cry for a few minutes. And that is what I was doing the night before I found myself in danger-yet again. 


	2. II: Watching, Waiting, Acting Anthony

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Charlie's Angels characters so don't sue me! AN: Thanks so much for the reviews, I greatly appreciate it!  
  
II  
Watching, Waiting, Acting  
Anthony  
  
He stood in the alley, looking at the woman's house. Once he saw that the light in the kitchen had turned off, he strode stealthily towards the house. Once he had crossed the street, he stood for a moment in front of the woman's house before turning and climbing up a large tree that was next to him. He ascended the tree as far as he could and then sat on the branch, settling against the tree's trunk. Then, tucking his cane under his arm, his milky blue eyes settled on the house in front of him. Anthony had been coming to Dylan's house at night for almost two months now, watching over her.  
Four months after he was nearly killed by O'Grady, someone had thrown a brink into one of his apartment's windows. There had been a note tied on the brick. That note held a warning that Anthony was going to be killed; and so was Dylan. The note had been signed with a simple 'J', which was confusing Anthony/ He didn't know anyone whose name started with the letter j, so he had assumed that somehow O'Grady had survived falling from the rooftop, and now he was after Dylan and Anthony for vengeance.  
Anthony knew that O'Grady would make good on his threats, so he felt the think to do was watch over Dylan as much as he could and to keep himself hidden from her for as long as possible. The latter was proving to be a difficult thing to do.  
As he would sit in the tree, or watch from the alley near her house, he thought about the woman he was protecting, Dylan. She wasn't like any woman he had ever known. She had a fiery temper, but was dedicated and loyal to two friends and her job. She was also very strong physically, and that was one reason why Anthony found himself attracted to her. Ever since the Coal Bowl, he found himself watching Dylan from afar, trying to sort out this new feeling he experienced whenever he saw her. After O'Grady had stabbed him, Anthony remained in the bedroom of his apartment until his wound had completely healed. During the recuperation, he came to figured out that he was in love with Dylan. So now he had set himself to watch over her so that there would be a chance he could get closer to her.  
Having very sharp eyes, he notice that every night before going to sleep, she would sit on her bed and cry, holding his necklace from the orphanage in her hand. She was mourning, what she had thought was his death. It was torture for Anthony, watching her cry for him. He wanted to reappear and stop the tears, but until whoever was threatening them both was eliminated, that would have to wait.  
Anthony blinked his tired eyes as the sky began to lighten in the east. Another night had gone by, and Dylan was safe. He began to wonder if the note was maybe just a prank. He shook his head and then started to descend the tree when he saw Dylan's car pull out of the driveway and roar down the street.  
He quickly jumped down from the branch and ran to the alley he had come out of. Once there, he climbed onto the motorcycle he parked there. He put his cane in a special holder on the side, put on his helmet and started the bike.  
Anthony managed to catch up to Dylan just as she pulled into a parking structure by the Santa Monica Promenade. He parked his motorcycle a row away and took off his helmet. He grabbed his cane and followed Dylan down the street-not seeing the two pairs of eyes that followed Dylan's every move. 


	3. III: The Attack Dylan

III  
The Attack  
Dylan  
  
I had waited until eight to see if I would be called in for a new case. When nine o'clock passed by, I got dressed and made two quick phone calls to Natalie and Alex to see what they were going to be doing that day. It turned out that both of them had plans for the day (Natalie was spending the day with Pete and Spike, and Alex was taking her cousins, who were visiting from England, to Disneyland). So I decided to go shopping at the Santa Monica Promenade.  
I pulled into a parking structure just across the street from the start of the Promenade; I grabbed my purse and slung it over my shoulder, walking out onto the sidewalk. As I crossed the street to the Promenade, I got the feeling that someone was watching me. I glanced over my shoulder and saw that no one was staring at me. I shook my head slightly and decided to just concentrate on shopping for the rest of the day.  
As I walked down the middle of the street, I took off my sunglasses and took my hair out of its ponytail. I loved coming to the Promenade every chance I could. When I was there, I could forget about being an Angel and pretend I was a normal person shopping.  
I walked a couple of blocks before going into my favorite store, Borders. I went straight up to the second floor and grabbed a travel book on Romania. Walking up the stairs to the third floor, I could have sworn that I saw a man on the second floor landing carrying a cane like Anthony's. I did a quick double take and then looked back down, but the man was gone. Inwardly, I sighed. It seemed that I would think that Anthony was around for the rest of the day.  
Leaving the store an hour later, I decided I should get something to eat for lunch. I walked past the store and down towards the mall that was across the street from the Promenade. In front of the fountains near the end of the street, there were two men doing a comedy routine with a large group of people surrounding them. I turned around, looking back the way I had come, and watched the two for a few minutes. It was a really funny act and I completely forgot about seeing that man with the can in Borders.  
When my stomach started to rumble, I decided that I needed to start towards the mall again and get my lunch. I turned my head to glance back and see if anyone was behind me. Off to the side, milky blue eyes under a head of black hair caught my eye.  
I gasped loud enough for the people near me to glance at me to see what the matter was. I paid no attention to them and closed my eyes, not really all that certain of what I had seen. My heart pounding like crazy, I opened my eyes to see if he was still there. Standing in that spot, was a Latino woman, laughing at the show in front of her. My eyes widened in shock, I could have sworn that it was Anthony I had seen standing there.  
"Excuse me ma'am, are you okay?" a police officer said, standing next to me.  
"I-I'm fine," I managed to say. I pushed my way out of the ring of people and walked back to where I had parked my car. I then realized that I wasn't hungry enough to eat in a mall full of crowded people, there was the possibility that I would think someone was Anthony. I bought a pretzel from a vendor on the sidewalk and then I decided to walk along the cliff that overlooked the ocean two blocks west of the Promenade.  
There was a dirt path along the edge of this cliff and I decided to walk until I finished my meager lunch. Walking along the path, the ocean breezes blowing my hair gently, I felt relaxed again. I pulled out Anthony's necklace and let the wind play with it. Once I had finished with the pretzel, I walked back to my car.  
I had to pass through a quiet neighborhood before I could reach my car. Walking down the street, I felt the back of my neck prickle. Someone was following me, I was sure of it this time. Keep my cool, I increased my pace, trying to get back to where the streets were more populated. I passed a deserted alley, and then I was grabbed from behind.  
Whoever it was, pulled me back into the alley and threw me to the ground. I landed hard on my hands, scraping them in the process. I stood up right away and turned to face my attacker.  
There were two men standing in front of me. "We've got a message for you," one of the men said.  
"And what's that," I said angrily, clenching my teeth and getting into a fighting stance. Before I could move, I felt someone push me hard from behind. I was flung off to the side and before I could stop myself, hit my forehead against a stucco wall. I slid down to the ground and turned so I was facing the thugs attacking me. I could feel blood trickling down into my eye and then on my cheek.  
The three men surrounding me walked to me, and I got up, trying to blackout.  
One of the thugs pulled out a gun and pointed it at me. I could have sworn that I saw my life flashing in front of my eyes. I heard the safety on the gun being turned off and I decided that if I went down, I would do so fighting.  
The thug with the gun put his finger on the trigger. Before he could press it, something whooshed down and knocked the gun from his grip. The thugs looked over in surprise to see who had interfered.  
I glanced over as well- and my heart nearly stopped. Standing off to the side of the three thugs, cane in hand was Anthony.  
"Who the hell are you?" the thug that had pulled out the gun demanded. Without waiting for an answer, he started walking towards Anthony, the other two behind him  
Anthony stared at the three thugs with a look similar to disgust. When the thugs were three feet away, he jumped out, hitting the thugs as hard as he could with his cane.  
I was leaning against the wall behind me, blood still running down my face. I wanted to help Anthony fight, but I was dizzy and close to unconsciousness. I was so focused on watching the fighting in front of me, that I didn't noticed a fourth thug come up and throw me against the wall on the other side of the alley until it was too late. This time I couldn't fight it and before I succumbed to the blackness, I screamed out, "Anthony, help me!" 


	4. IV: Reunion Anthony and Dylan

A/N: Reviews are very greatly appreciated, I would love to know what you readers think of this story!  
  
IV  
Reunion  
Anthony and Dylan  
  
As he rendered the third attacker unconscious, Anthony heard Dylan scream to him for help. He turned towards her and was surprised to see that she was sprawled on the ground and a fourth thug was running towards him. Without so much as blinking, Anthony kicked the man in the stomach. Then, while the thug was kneeling on the ground, clutching his abdomen in pain, he hit the side of the thug's head with his cane.  
With all the thugs unconscious, Anthony strode over to Dylan and knelt down to examine her.  
Her hands were scraped and bruised slightly. There was a cut just above her eyebrow that was still bleeding slightly.  
Touching her hair briefly, Anthony lifted the unconscious woman into his arms. He walked back to the parking structure, using an entrance that was away from the main street. At her car, he set Dylan on her feet while he got the car keys in her jacket pocket. He unlocked the passenger side door and set her in the seat gentle. He then walked around to the driver's side and got into the seat. He started the car and drove out of the parking structure as fast as he could. As he was driving down the freeway to Dylan's house, she slumped over onto Anthony's shoulder. He glanced down at her and then pressed the pedal down to gain more speed.  
Once at the house, he parked in the garage so he could get her into the house without the neighbors noticing them. He walked over to the other side of the car and lifted Dylan up into his arms again. Then he turned and walked into the house, being careful not to hit Dylan's head against the doorway or walls.  
Walking into her room, Anthony lay Dylan down on the bed. Then he leaned his cane against the nightstand and hurried into the bathroom so he could clean Dylan's wounds. He easily found the medical supplies and he soaked a washcloth in hot water before getting the medicine and going back into the room  
After he wiped the blood away from her face and forehead, Anthony found he couldn't resist the urge, and he softly pulled some hair from Dylan's head. He rubbed the hair over his cheek and then sniffed it deeply. His fetish thus satisfied, he quickly put the hair into his jacket pocket and then returned to treating Dylan's wounds. Once he was done, Anthony pulled off her shoes and covered her with the comforter that had been folded on the edge of the bed. Then he walked over to the sliding door that led out to the balcony and looked out, keeping watch over Dylan once again.  
  
Dylan  
I came out of unconsciousness with a vicious headache. As I became more aware of my surroundings, I realized that I wasn't laying on the ground at the alley in Santa Monica. I opened my eyes and saw that I was in my on my bed in my house. I was really confused now, how did I manage to get from that alley to here? I turned to look out the window, and I saw Anthony standing at the balcony, smoking a cigarette.  
So that really had been him fighting the thugs in the alley. I slowly sat up and turned to get off the bed, when he turned and saw that I was awake.  
We stared at each other for awhile. Me sitting on the edge of my bed and him in the sliding glass doorway to my room.  
"You're alive," I managed to say after a few moments.  
Anthony nodded curtly.  
"Thank you," I then said, standing up and walking towards him.  
He raised his eyebrow as if to ask why?  
"For saving my life," I answered, smiling. When he shrugged, I said, "Why don't we go get something to eat? I'll bet you're hungry." I glanced down at my shirt, which had blood on it, and then said, "Let me change my shirt before we go." I hurried to my closet and grabbed the first blouse I saw. As I changed into it, the medallion of Anthony's necklace hit my shoulder. I pulled the clean blouse on and then took off the necklace, putting it into my pant pocket.  
I walked back into the room and saw that Anthony was looking out the window again. As I walked towards him, he turned to me. When I got close to him, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards him. He buried his hand in my hair and I waited to feel the sting of him ripping some of the hair out.  
Instead of doing that, Anthony then took his hand out of my hair and put it around my back. He then let go of my wrist and supped my cheek with his free hand. Now we were just inches apart from each other and I could see the desire and longing in his blue.  
My heart pounding like crazy, I lifted my arms and wrapped them around his neck. I couldn't resist the temptation, and one of my fingers snaked up to lightly touch his hair. I then looked up into his eyes again and he quickly closed the gap between us, kissing my lips possessively.  
I don't know how long the kiss lasted. Once his lips meet mine, all coherent thoughts are gone from my mind. I do remember that we broke apart at one point for a quick breath of air, and then we kissed again. After awhile, we stopped kissing and Anthony gave a kind of joyful yelp. Then he pulled me close again and rubbed his cheek against mine, sighing deeply. I closed my eyes tightly while he that, just relishing the contact of his skin against mine.  
We probably would have stayed like that all night if the clock on my nightstand hadn't beeped the hour, six o'clock. I turned my head and looked at the time. Sighing, I looked back at Anthony and said, "We should get going."  
I drove over to a local fast food place that was near my house. After getting our dinner (Anthony had a pen and a pad of paper, he wrote down what he wanted to eat), I drove to a nearby park where I knew we would have privacy to talk.  
At the park, I sat down at a picnic table and Anthony sat down next to me. We quickly ate and when I returned to the table after throwing away the trash, I got his necklace from my pocket. "I thought you'd want this back," I said, holding the necklace out to him.  
He touched the medallion briefly, then shook his head and closed my hand around it. He wrote something down on his pad of paper and handed it to me.  
I read it, "You keep it, it may protect you," and smiled. Then I put the note down and looked at Anthony. "Do you know who those men were that attacked me?" I asked.  
He turned to his paper and started to write quickly. He handed me to note and then pulled a piece of paper from inside his jacket.  
"I don't know who they were, but I got a letter threatening you and me two months ago." I read the note and then read the letter Anthony handed to me.  
"You may have survived the Carmel mission explosion, but you and that red-haired Angel will pay for what you've done. Expect to hear from me in the future, and you'd best be prepared to fight once you do.  
J" 


	5. V:Nightmare and Sign Language Anthony a...

A/N: Thanks a lot for the reviews! I have a dream sequence in here and I would really appreciate it if my readers could comment on that! Thank you in advance!  
  
V  
Nightmare and Sign Language  
Anthony and Dylan  
  
While Dylan was reading the letter, Anthony wrote quickly on his pad of paper. When he was done, he gave the paper to Dylan.  
She read it and then shook her head. "O'Grady's dead," she said, answering the question on the note. "Alex was able to get some blood from the body that was in that alley below the hotel. She did a DNA test and it was a ninety-nine percent match to O'Grady."  
Anthony nodded, and then wrote down on his paper again. "It could be O'Grady's family behind this attack," he scribbled out, and then he handed it to her.  
Dylan read the note and nodded. "It could be," she said. "Listen, I'll have to go in to the office tomorrow. I can tell the others about the attack today and the note and Alex and Natalie can help me figure out who's behind this."  
Anthony frowned and wrote another note. "I will help you three, it was both of us who were threatened anyway. And if we stay together, we can protect one another better."  
After reading this note, Dylan looked up and smiled. Reaching out and to touch his hand, she said, "Okay, we'll figure this out together."  
Stretching out with his free hand, Anthony grabbed her shoulder and pulled Dylan close to him. They kissed deeply for a few moments, and then they left the park, going back to Dylan's house.  
  
Dylan  
As I drove back towards my home, I thought about how much my life had changed in the past twenty-four hours. Last night I was crying over Anthony's death, and today we had kissed as if none of that had happened. When we got in the house, I said to him, "I'll go and get the guest room bed set up for you to sleep in."  
Anthony shook his head quickly and then wrote on his paper, which he then handed to me.  
"I'll stay up and keep watch," the note said. I glanced over at him and asked, "You'll be okay without sleep?"  
He nodded, and then he reached out and touched my forehead, just above the cut. It was as if he was telling me that I needed to rest after what had happened today.  
"Okay, I'll go and sleep," I said, a little exasperated. I had been prepared to stay awake too, but I guess he had known I would try and do so before I said anything. "If you get tired though, the guest room is down the hall from my room."  
Nodding, Anthony picked up his cane from the kitchen counter and walked over to me. He kissed me softly on the lips, as a way of saying goodnight and then he walked into the living room.  
I sighed and then walked up to my room. Once there, I put on my pajamas and brushed my hair quickly. I jumped onto my bed and as soon as my head touched the pillow, I was fast asleep.  
  
***I opened my eyes- and found myself on the hotel rooftop in Hollywood. Seamus was trying to push me over the edge of the roof and I tried as hard as I could to fight him. Suddenly, Seamus was thrown over the side, and I could see Anthony's hands on my arms, pulling me up off the edge. Then a huge gust of wind blew into my eyes and it stung them. I closed my eyes tightly and when I opened them, I was in Knox's house. He was standing in front of me, Vivian Wood next to him, and he was pointing the gun at me. I glanced to my right, and saw Anthony staring at me intently. ".tell me," Knox was saying and he started pressing down on the trigger. Before he could shoot, Anthony knocked the gun out of Knox's hands with his sword. Then, in the blink of an eye, he impaled Knox and then Wood in their hearts. He turned and walked over to me, dropping his sword in the process. When he was in front of me, he got on his knees. He wrapped his arms around my waist and put his cheek where my stomach was. "Forgive me, my Angel, for I have sinned," he then whispered hoarsely. I looked down at Anthony and stroked his hair a few times. Then I put my hands on his shoulders and made him stand up. "Do good and your sins will be forgiven," I said softly. Anthony cupped my face with his hands. He leaned down to kiss me, and a fierce gust of wind blew around us. I looked all-around me-we were back on the hotel rooftop. As Anthony's lips met mine, I realized what was going to happen. We pulled apart and he grabbed a lock of my hair. "You've got to leave-"I started to say, when the sick sound of the sword impaling Anthony's chest stopped me. His eyes wide, Anthony staggered backwards over the edge. Before he fell, he opened his mouth, blood flowed down his chin, and he whispered, "Dylan!" I ran to the edge of the roof and watched as he fell to his death. I then started to scream horribly, "NO! Anthony!"***  
  
Anthony  
Anthony passed the hours pacing around the house and looking out every window. Around three-thirty in the morning, he was looking out the kitchen window when he heard screaming upstairs. He turned sharply and ran up to Dylan's room as fast as he could.  
"Anthony! Anthony!" she was screaming over and over.  
When he ran into the room, Anthony wasted no time in sitting Dylan upright and shaking her slightly.  
Dylan opened her eyes wide. Breathing harshly, a muffled sob came from her throat, and she threw herself at Anthony. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder.  
Feeling a little awkward, Anthony held the anguished woman a little more tightly to him. He knew that Dylan's horrible nightmare had been about his 'death' on the hotel rooftop.  
  
Dylan  
As I clutched at Anthony, I tried my hardest not to cry, but a few tears managed to make their way down my cheeks. After a few minutes, I felt much better and lifted my head off his shoulder, looking at him. "Sorry if I scared you. I just-" I started to say.  
Anthony interrupted me by placing his fingers on my lips. He knew what I had dreamed already. Then he wiped the tear that was falling down my cheek and kissed my forehead softly.  
I sighed and looked over at the clock as he stood up to leave. Three forty-five. I would never fall back asleep now. "Anthony, wait a sec," I called out.  
He stopped and turned around, waiting for me to speak.  
"I was thinking that since you're going to be helping us with this investigation," I said quickly. "Maybe I could teach you sign language so you don't have to use a pen and paper to talk with us."  
While he thought that idea over, I go out of bed and went to my closet to get dressed. I pulled on black pants and a black blouse that was edged with light blue silk. Before I walked back into the room, I made sure that Anthony's necklace was hanging on top of the blouse.  
When I stepped out into the room, Anthony's eyes settled on the necklace. A faint smiled appeared on his face.  
"So what's the answer on sign language?" I asked. When he nodded, I then said, "Go on downstairs and I'll come down in a few minutes."  
Once he had left, I brushed my hair and put on makeup as quickly as I could. After that, I took the gauze off my cut. I grimaced, looking at it. It was a medium sized cut, but all around it was bruising from when I hit the wall. I cleaned it up and then taped a new piece of gauze over the cut.  
I rushed out of the room and hurried down to the living room, where Anthony was waiting for me. I motioned for him to sit on the couch and I sat next to him.  
"Since we're starting from scratch," I said, facing him. "We'll start with the alphabet." I then had him raise his left hand so he could mimic me when I signed.  
Anthony was extremely smart and very adept. In no time at all, he was able to sign the entire alphabet pretty quickly.  
Smiling at his progress, I said, "I'll teach you the signs for whole words later on. It's better if you start with the alphabet."  
He thought for a few moments then he signed, "How do I sign the word 'angel'?"  
Surprised, I showed him the sign for angel.  
Anthony signed it back to me and then he signed the letter 'd'. Then he touched my cheek.  
"Is that your sign for me?" I asked, touched.  
He signed 'angel' and 'd' again in response.  
I smiled and threw my arms around his shoulder and kissed him deeply.  
After a few seconds, Anthony wrapped his arms around my back and held me tightly, kissing me in return. 


	6. VI: Charlie and a New Case Anthony and ...

A/N: I would really appreciate more reviews my readers, I would hate to have to set a goal of the number of reviews I receive before I post another chapter, which I hate doing.  
  
VI  
Charlie and a New Case  
Anthony and Dylan  
  
At eight o'clock, Dylan's cell phone rang, interrupting the sign language lesson that Dylan was teaching Anthony.  
Getting up off the couch, Dylan answered her phone. "Hello?" she asked. "I'll be in." She hung up the phone and looked at Anthony. "Let's go."  
Following Dylan to the garage, Anthony grabbed his cane in the kitchen, holding it tightly by his side. He got into Dylan's car and leaned back against the passenger seat, closing his eyes.  
  
Dylan  
Just before I got onto the freeway I took to the office, I stopped at a gas station to get some gas and something quick to eat for breakfast. As I got out of the car, I noticed that Anthony had opened his eyes and was watching me. "I'm going to fill the tank and get something to eat," I told him.  
Watching me with intense eyes, he nodded slightly.  
I ran into the convenience store to pay for the gas and I grabbed two cereal bars to eat. I went back to my car and started to fill the tank. While I waited, I glanced over at Anthony.  
His eyes were closed again and he seemed to be either asleep or resting. As always, he was dressed impeccably. He had on a black suit and tie that looked very neat despite the fact he had been wearing it for a day now. His hair wasn't gelled back anymore; it was hanging on either side of his head.  
A slight breeze began blowing and a bit of Anthony's hair moved onto his face. Before I could realize what I was doing, I reached out and brushed the hair back. Then I ran my hand over his head and down to his shoulder. I remembered that the last time I had seen his hair like this was at the California Speedway. The click of the gas pump as the tank filled up jolted me out of my thoughts.  
Driving onto the freeway, I began to worry about how Alex and Natalie would react to Anthony. Sure he had been our enemy when he was working for Knox. Now, though, it seemed like he was trying to do good. At that thought, my mind wandered back to the dream I had had last night, where Anthony had begged my forgiveness for his sins.  
Anthony had killed a few people that I knew about; Corwin, Emmers and almost O'Grady. He had probably killed more people before that. And I knew that being raised a Catholic at the orphanage, he had been taught that killing a person was a sin.  
I realized that Anthony must have assumed that coming to me would wash away his sins. I wasn't really too sure how well that belief would work out. Considering what I had done growing up, I was hardly and angel in the normal sense. But my official title for my job was an 'Angel', and I guess that was good enough for Anthony.  
Getting off the freeway, I pushed what I had just been thinking out of my mind. What I had seen in my dream couldn't be true. For awhile this morning though, I could have sworn that Anthony wanted what he'd asked me to do in the dream.  
  
Anthony  
Dylan parked her car in front of a boutique. Across the street from it was a two-story brick building that seemed non-descript compared to the other buildings around it. Only the plaque, Charles Townsend, Private Investigators, next to the door gave a hint as to what was inside the brick building.  
Following Dylan across the street, Anthony wondered if he would be accepted at all by the other Angels. Even if he wasn't, as long as Dylan stood by him, he wouldn't care about what the others thought of him.  
Inside the building, Dylan turned to Anthony, stopping him from walking further. "I just need to talk to you about a couple of things before we go inside," she said. "Let me tell the others about what's happened and I'll show them the note." She turned and started walking towards a fountain. Then she stopped and turned to Anthony again and said, "No hair pulling okay? I want Alex and Natalie to see they can trust you."  
"I won't," Anthony signed.  
Dylan nodded and turned, walking to a door to the right of the fountain. She opened the door and stepped inside.  
  
Dylan  
As I walked into the office, I saw that Natalie and Alex were sitting on the couch talking with Bosley.  
When Anthony closed the door behind him, Bosley looked up. "Hey Dylan," he said. "Damn girl, what happened to you?"  
Bosley's question had alerted my friends and they stood up, turning to face me.  
"Oh my god, Dylan," Alex said, seeing the gauze on my forehead. "Are you okay?"  
"What's.?" Natalie said she trailed off when she caught sight of Anthony.  
I opened my mouth to tell them I wanted to explain things to both them and Charlie, when the phone on Bosley's desk rang. I turned to Anthony and told him to sit on the chair next to where I sat on the couch. Then I walked over and sat down next to Natalie and Alex.  
"Good morning Angels," Charlie's voice said from the speakerphone.  
"Good morning Charlie," the three of us chimed in unison.  
  
Anthony When the three women started talking to Charlie, Anthony leaned forward in his seat. He had always wondered about the man he had helped Knox almost kill.  
"Dylan, I do hope that you are alright," Charlie said.  
"I'm fine," Dylan said, glancing at Anthony. "But I think that I've got something we need to look into."  
"All right then Dylan," Charlie said. "Tell us what's happened.  
Dylan nodded and started to explain what had happened the day before in Santa Monica. She described how Anthony had saved her, taken her home and treated her wounds.  
"Thank you for helping Dylan, Anthony," Charlie said.  
Anthony's eyes widened slightly. How did the man know he was there?  
Continuing, Dylan then talked about the note Anthony had shown her. She took it out of her pocket and handed it to the others to read. Then she talked about their theory that someone related to the O'Grady family was behind the threats and the attack.  
"It looks like you've got your next assignment Angels," Charlie said. "Find out who this 'J' is and try to capture him before he does something to Dylan and Anthony."  
"We can go to the local FBI office and get the list of the O'Grady's that were arrested that night on the hotel rooftop," Alex said.  
"Dylan, I'd like you to go to Carmel and find out who owns the mission there now," Charlie said. "Anthony, I would greatly appreciate it if you would help us investigate this and if you would, as a favor to me, stay close to Dylan until this case is through."  
Without a moment's hesitation, Anthony quickly signed something.  
"He said he'll do it Charlie," Dylan said, smiling at Anthony.  
"Very good," Charlie said. "It's time to get to work Angels." 


	7. VII:Lingering Doubts and Driving Dylan ...

Disclaimer: (Since I haven't done it for a couple of chapters) I don't own Charlie's angels or any of the characters.  
  
VII  
Lingering Doubts and Driving  
Dylan and Anthony  
  
Anthony and I were walking past the fountain when Alex called out to me.  
  
"I just need to talk to you for a minute," Alex said.  
  
"Sure," I said. I turned to Anthony and asked him to wait for me at my car. When he left, I walked over to Alex. "What's up?"  
  
She hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I'm just having doubts about whether or not we can trust the Thin Man," she said.  
  
I sighed. I had expected Alex to still have her doubts and talk to me about Anthony.  
  
"I know that he's being threatened too, but still, he has tried to kill us before," Alex said quickly.  
  
"His name is Anthony, Alex," I said, trying my best not to sound angry. "And besides, he helped Max and the both of us during the HALO case, and he did save me yesterday. We can trust him Alex; he won't go rouge on us."  
  
"Okay, okay," Alex said. "I just don't want to see you falling for the bad guy again."  
  
"Who said I was falling for him?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant. I'm not sure what possessed me to lie about Anthony and me, but I felt that I should.  
  
Alex just raised one eyebrow and gave me a look that said, "Sure you don't."  
  
I just shrugged and said, "I'll call you guys if I find anything in Carmel."  
  
"And we'll call you if we find anything at the FBI office," Alex said. With that, she turned and went back into the office.  
  
When I got to the car, I told Anthony that we had to make a quick stop before we went to Carmel. "I need to get an outfit, and you need to change into a clean suit," I said as I started the car.  
  
"Where are we going to get the clothes?" Anthony signed.  
  
"We have a warehouse a few miles way from here where we keep all the costumes and stuff that we wear on our assignments," I answered.  
  
He nodded at that, and leaned against the seat.  
  
I parked in the back of the warehouse. I got out of the car and took the key to the door out of my pocket. I unlocked the door and let Anthony walk inside first. Then I closed the door behind us. I turned on the lights as I put the key away. I walked over to a computer where we kept a list of all the outfits we had and where they were exactly.  
  
"Come on, the men's suits are back here," I said to Anthony, walking down an aisle. It took a few minutes to get to the row where the suits were. I immediately began to look through the jackets that were hanging there, trying to find one that would fit Anthony. Finally, I was able to find a black pinstripe suit that looked like something he would wear, and it was in his size. I pulled it out and handed it to Anthony. "I'm going to get my clothes and change," I said. "There's a room you can change in at the front. I'll meet you there once I'm done."  
  
Nodding, Anthony turned and walked back towards the front of the warehouse.  
  
I quickly walked over to the women's clothes and looked through the business suits that we had. I decided on a black skirt, dark blue blouse and a black jacket to wear. I changed quickly and grabbed a pair of black high heels. Then I brushed my hair out and put it up into a bun. Finished, I turned and walked to the front where Anthony was waiting for me.  
  
Anthony  
  
Anthony ran his hand over his jacket sleeve. He really liked the suit that Dylan had picked for him. He heard the sound of high heels coming towards him and he looked up.  
  
"That suit looks really great on you," Dylan said, looking him over and nodding.  
  
Looking at Dylan's outfit, which he thought made her look beautiful, Anthony frowned slightly. "Where is the necklace?" he signed.  
  
"I'm wearing it under my blouse," she answered.  
  
Scowling, Anthony nodded and they left the warehouse. Before he could walk over to the passenger side of the car, Dylan stopped him by placing a hand on his arm.  
  
"Why don't you drive us up to Carmel?" she asked, holding out the keys to him.  
  
Signing thank you, Anthony took the keys and got in the driver's seat. He turned on the car and ran his hands over the steering wheel. It seemed like an eternity since he had last driven a beautiful car like this. He then backed the car up and left the warehouse, heading towards the freeway.  
  
Dylan  
  
I watched Anthony as we sped up the freeway to Carmel. He seemed at ease driving, even though he had never driven in my car before. The more I thought about, the more I realized he loved the speed. It gave him the freedom that he couldn't get anywhere else. He didn't have to worry about speaking, and he could forget about who he was. I was an expert on that; it was exactly how I felt when I drove my car.  
  
I looked at him now, his still ungelled hair blowing in the wind, and I was amazed at how different he looked driving. Calm, with a small smile on his face-he looked like an entirely different person.  
  
As if feeling my gaze, Anthony reached out with one hand and tugged a piece of hair out of my bun. Then he pulled it off my head.  
  
"Ouch!" I said, touching the place where the lock of hair had been. "I thought I said no hair pulling."  
  
Looking at me from the corner of his eye, Anthony rubbed my hair against his cheek and then under his nose, inhaling deeply, eyes still on the road. Then as he put the lock of hair into his pocket, he smirked.  
  
I sighed and leaned back into my seat, trying to ignore the slight throb where the hair had been yanked from. I guess that the hair pulling thing was something that only I would have to get used to. I looked out the window for a few moments, and then I reached forward and turned on the radio and put on my Rolling Stones cd.  
  
When 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' started to play, Anthony looked at me, obviously annoyed by the music.  
  
I smiled widely at him and said innocently, "That's for pulling out my hair."  
  
He glared at me and then pressed down on the gas, speeding up and driving towards the off ramp. 


	8. VIII: Carmel Dylan

VIII  
Carmel  
Dylan  
  
As Anthony pulled into the parking lot, I looked at the ruins of the mission in amazement. "They've completely rebuilt it," I said. Then I shook my head, it was time to get down to business. I turned and saw Anthony getting out of the car, His cane in hand. "Wait," I called. I got out of the car in a hurry and walked over to him.  
  
"You can't take the cane with you," I said, taking it from him. "We're supposed to be from a San Diego newspaper, writing an article about the mission. You're going to have to be the photographer." With that, I walked to the trunk and opened it. I pulled out a camera, a pad of paper and a pen and then two id badges.  
  
Anthony looked upset that he wouldn't be able to bring the cane with him. He stared down at the came and swung it by the cord a few times.  
  
"You'll only have to take a few pictures," I said. I had pinned the id to my jacket and handed the other to Anthony, who did the same.  
  
We left the car and walked out of the parking lot to a dirt path that led to a small building. A note posted on the door read: "The Carmel Mission will be opened to the public on January 27, 2004. The Gift Shop is open for business during construction."  
  
I pushed open the door and walked inside. After Anthony closed the door behind him, I glanced around the place, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness.  
  
"May I help you two?" a young man asked from behind the cash register.  
  
I forced a smile and walked towards the man. "Yes, my name is Anna King," I said. "And this is Andrew Logan. We're with the San Diego Register."  
  
"Oh yes," the man said, getting up from his chair. "Your boss just called me. Said that you wanted to write about the Mission right?"  
  
I nodded quickly. "I hope you don't mind if we take a few pictures," I said, gesturing to the camera in Anthony's hand.  
  
"Not at all Miss King," the man said, glancing at Anthony warily. "By the way, name's Richard McShea. I'm the Mission's historian." He shook my hand and then held his hand out to Anthony. When he didn't take the offer, McShea withdrew and said, "Let me get someone else on the register and then I'll give you a grand tour." He turned and went into a room that was behind the counter.  
  
***** It took an hour for McShea to give us the tour. A whole hour of just listening to McShea talk about the Mission when it was first built.  
  
I glanced over at Anthony as McShea was finishing his story about the roof tiles on the North Tower, where we were, and how they had been imported from Spain.  
  
Anthony was looking out towards the ocean, holding the camera by its cord and swinging it from time to time.  
  
When McShea walked into the tower, I turned to Anthony. "I've had about as much as I can take of this guy," I said. Anthony nodded in agreement. "I'm going to tell him we got everything we need. Wait out here okay?" Without waiting for an answer. I walked into the tower. "Mr. McShea," I called out.  
  
"Miss King," McShea answered, obviously annoyed that I wasn't giving him my full attention.  
  
"I've got almost everything I need for the article and it's a long drive back to San Diego," I said. "So we've got to go soon."  
  
"Of course. What other information do you need?" McShea asked, his beady brown eyes glancing at my chest.  
  
I cleared my throat and said, "I would like to know who now owns the Mission and where the money for the building costs are coming from."  
  
"The Mission was donated to the state of California by a Jamie Camden and she's been supplying some of the money for the construction," McShea said.  
  
I wrote the information down on my pad of paper. "Well that's it Mr. McShea-"I began.  
  
He cut me off by walking to me and grabbing my arm roughly. "Since that blue eyed creep's not in here, maybe you and I can get better acquainted," McShea said, smiled evilly.  
  
"Let me go Mr. McShea," I said angrily, my temper flaring. I tried to yank my arm from his grip-but he was holding me tightly.  
  
With his free hand, McShea reached out to grab my chin. Before he could do so, a hand grasped his wrist tightly.  
  
I looked over to find that it was Anthony, a look of pure hate on his face. With his other hand he signed, "Let her go."  
  
"What the hell did he say?" McShea asked me, his voice trembling.  
  
"He told you to let me go," I said evenly.  
  
McShea quickly did so and tried to apologize to me.  
  
Anthony just shook his and hit McShea with his fist, knocking him out. "Let's go," he signed to me, letting go of the unconscious historian's wrist. He grabbed my hand and we walked out of there as fast as we could.  
  
As we passed by the gift shop, an elderly woman opened the door. "Excuse me miss, are you from the San Diego Register?" she asked.  
  
Letting go of Anthony's hand, I walked over to the old woman. "I am," I answered.  
  
"This letter was delivered while you were on the tour with Richard." She paused for a moment. "Where is he?"  
  
"He stayed up in the North Tower, he was looking at the new beams for the ceiling," I lied.  
  
"Oh, well here's the letter," the woman said, giving it to me. "Have a nice day."  
  
"Thanks I said as she went back into the gift shop. I glanced down at the letter, when Anthony grabbed my arm gently.  
  
"We have to leave before McShea gets up," he signed.  
  
I nodded and put the letter in my pocket, letting Anthony lead me to my car. "You can drive," I told him when he handed me the keys.  
  
Eyes lighting up, he signed thank you and got into the driver's seat. He started the car and we sped off to the freeway.  
  
Once we were well on our way, I took the letter out. It was a long envelope and there was nothing written on the front. I turned it over and using my fingernail, I slit it open. I took out the letter and read it quickly. I then gasped and said, "Get off at the next exit Anthony." 


	9. IX: The Past Anthony and Dylan

IX  
The Past  
Anthony and Dylan  
  
Anthony got off of the freeway and parked in the driveway of an abandoned house next to the off ramp. He turned to Dylan, who handed him the letter she had just read.  
  
"Hope you two enjoyed yourselves at the new Mission. Unfortunately you won't find anything that can help you find me there. Be assured that I've managed to cover my tracks sufficiently.  
I feel that I should give you some time to conduct your little investigation; it would only be fair to do so. Perhaps three days is enough time? It will have to be, I am getting impatient.  
I shall be contacting you in three days. Good luck with your investigation.  
J"  
  
Dylan  
When Anthony finished reading the letter, he handed the letter back to me, looking angry.  
  
I took out my cell phone and dialed Alex's number, hoping that she and Natalie had left the FBI office.  
  
"Hey Dylan," Alex's voice said on the other end. "You found something?"  
  
"I.," I said, and then stopped.  
  
Whoever it was that sent the letters was out to get me and Anthony, not Alex and Natalie. I couldn't tell them about this letter, they would get involved and they would probably get hurt.  
  
"Dylan, are you okay?" Alex asked, worried.  
  
"I'm fine, sorry Alex," I said. "There wasn't much at the Mission to find. Only that the land was given to the state by a woman named Jamie Camden. She also gave them money to rebuild the place."  
  
There was silence on the other end, and I knew Alex was writing it down. "I'll call Bosley at the office and tell him to look for that name," she said. "And this will probably make you feel better, Dylan. After three hours of waiting, I was able to look at the list of the O'Grady clan members there were arrested. And Natalie managed to get a list that has where those that weren't arrested are."  
  
"And?" I asked a little impatiently.  
  
"All of the members are either accounted for or dead," Alex answered. "And the ones that aren't in jail are in Boston."  
  
I sighed in relief. "Thanks for that at least Alex," I said.  
  
"You're welcome. So I guess there's nothing left to do but wait until tomorrow and see if Bosley finds anything on Jamie Camden," Alex said.  
  
"Alright, Alex," I said. "Say hi to Nat for me. See you tomorrow." I hung up the phone and glanced over at Anthony, who was staring at me.  
  
"Why didn't you tell them about the letter?" he signed.  
  
"This is our fight Anthony," I replied, taking off the id on my jacket. "I don't want to risk them getting hurt because of me again." I was fiddling with the ID card, not looking at him.  
  
Anthony put his hand under my chain and lifted my head so I was looking at him. "Then you will become just as alone as I have always been," he signed. He then started the car and got back onto the freeway.  
  
Anthony  
Back at Dylan's house, Anthony remained withdrawn as he had been driving back from Carmel. He ignored Dylan and went straight upstairs to the guest room. He stood by the window, looking out, and recalled the puzzled look on Dylan's face when he had told her she would be as lonely as him. Then, he remembered the hurt look on her face as he ignored her.  
  
He could not help it, whenever he was reminded of how solitary he was in the world, he remembered his past. A look of determination crossed his face, maybe if Dylan knew what had happened to make him a professional assassin, and then maybe she would avoid it. This way, she would not become a sinner like him.  
  
With that thought, Anthony began pacing back and forth across the room. He also knew that he owed Dylan an explanation for his statement earlier. He spotted a pad of paper on the dresser in the room and picked it up. Taking the pen from his jacket pocket-he began to write about his past.  
  
Dylan  
It was way too quiet in my house that evening. Usually when I had the night off I would either listen to music or watch movies. Today however, I was in my living room trying to read a magazine and ignore what Anthony had signed to me earlier.  
  
Finally I gave up on reading and I got up to go talk to him, when I turned and saw that he was standing in the doorway. "Hi," I said, a little startled. "Are you hungry at all?" I then asked lamely.  
  
He shook his head and then handed me some papers.  
  
"What's this?" I asked, confused.  
  
"It's about my past," he signed. When I took the papers he then signed, "I'm going for a walk. Will you be alright by yourself?"  
  
"Yeah, don't worry," I said hurriedly. I was anxious to read what he had written.  
  
He nodded and then left. A few seconds later, I heard the back door close and open- he had gone.  
  
I walked over to an armchair next to the window and sat down, and then I started to read.  
  
It took me forty-five minutes to read all five pages that Anthony had given me. He had written about his life-from the time he was three to just before he had been hired by Knox.  
  
Anthony had been born in Romania and was brought over to America by his parents when he was still a baby. They were gypsies, his parents, who joined a Romanian circus as acrobats when they got here. One day while rehearsing their act, his parents made a mistake in their routine and they both fell to their deaths, Anthony was only three years old.  
  
After the accident, Anthony was cared for by the wife of the ringmaster. When he turned four, he nearly died when he caught pneumonia after playing in the rain. He recovered very quickly, but found that his vocal chords had been damaged by his illness. He couldn't speak; all he was able to do was make screaming ore yelping noises.  
  
As he grew older, Anthony was trained as an acrobat, like his parents. Even though the other circus performers adored him, he did not allow himself to befriend anyone-not even the woman who cared for him after he became an orphan. When he was seven, he became dissatisfied with the circus. And when the group performed in Southern California, he ran away. He then ended up at the orphanage and lived there until he was seventeen. And while there, just like at the circus, he refused to become friendly with any of the other children and most of the nuns.  
  
When Anthony left the orphanage, he worked a series of jobs in order to earn money and to see what he wanted to do for a living. One night, when he was twenty five, he was nearly mugged by a robber. Luckily Anthony was able to fight back, but he then ended up killing the robber. This opened a new door for him-he so enjoyed the killing that he became a professional assassin. Seven years later, when he was hired by Knox, he was one of the most popular assassins in the underground world of crime.  
  
As I was finishing the story, I was struck by how alone Anthony was wherever he went. Then I read the last few sentences and my eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"Let your friends help you Dylan, it is their job and they will help to protect you fiercely. I have no one to help protect me from 'J'. Now I will likely die a sinner because of my past as an assassin, with no one who cares for or loves me. Do not let this happen to you. It would be a crime for a woman like you to die alone and unloved." 


	10. X: A Part of You Dylan and Anthony

Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie's Angels or any of the characters. The only person I do own is 'J'  
  
A/N: Thanks to the few people that have been reviewing, I really do appreciate the effort you're taking to read and then review my story.  
  
X  
A Part of You  
Dylan and Anthony  
  
I sat in the armchair, looking down at the letter I was holding, but I wasn't reading it. It was a weird coincidence that he called himself a sinner, and then he did that in my dream too.  
  
A few minutes later, I looked up and saw Anthony was in the doorway, looking at me.  
  
"I-I'm sorry," I said softly. It was a stupid way to apologize for all the hell that he had been through.  
  
He nodded though, as is he understood what I wasn't able to say.  
  
"I'll show Alex and Natalie the note from 'J' tomorrow morning," I said.  
  
"Good," Anthony signed simply. He turned to leave, when I called out and stopped him.  
  
"Do you remember anything at all about your parents?" I asked. I wanted him stay and I wanted to find out more about him. I realized that I wanted to try and take way some of the loneliness he was feeling.  
  
He turned around and walked into the room. "Very little," he signed. He then reached into his pocket and withdrew a photograph, which he handed to me.  
  
I took it and studied it. It was a portrait and in black white. A woman was sitting in a chair and a man was standing behind her with his hand on her shoulder, Anthony's parents obviously. "You look almost exactly like your father," I said, looking up at him. "Except for your eyes." His father's eyes were either black or brown.  
  
"The woman who raised me at the circus told me my mother's eyes were the same color as mine," Anthony signed.  
  
"What were their names?" I asked.  
  
"Katerina and Micael," he signed. He thought for a few moments and then signed, "What about your parents?"  
  
"My father ran away before I was born, and my mom died when I was six," I said, getting up from my chair. I went over to an old fashioned trunk I had next to the couch. I opened the lid and took the only picture I had of my mom out of the little storage box I kept it in, inside the trunk. I handed the photo to Anthony, who had knelt down next to me.  
  
He looked down at the picture and then up at me. He reached out and traced his finger from my temple to my chin, indicating how much he thought I looked like my mom.  
  
"I've forgotten so much about her," I whispered sadly.  
  
Anthony handed back the photo to me and then waited until I had closed the trunk to help me stand up. "Your mother's blood runs through your veins. She is a part of you and will be until you die," he signed.  
  
I looked over at his parents' picture which was on the armchair. "Your parents are a part of you too you know," I said.  
  
He shook his head and signed, "They can't be a part of me anymore. I have driven them away by killing all the people that I have."  
  
"You have saved a few lives since then," I pointed out. "Especially mine."  
  
"It doesn't matter," he signed. "I am a sinner and I will die alone and unloved. I was taught that it is the worst thing to happen to a person."  
  
"But you're not alone or unloved, Anthony," I said.  
  
He looked down at me, obviously confused.  
  
It took me a moment to gather my courage and then I said, "I love you."  
  
Anthony  
He heard her speak the words and then it was as if his body had gone numb.  
  
No one had ever told Anthony that they loved him. His parents probably did, but he could not remember that. And yet here was this woman, his one time enemy that he had tried to kill a few times, telling him that she loved him.  
  
He looked into her green eyes and saw that she had meant what she said. Then he reached out and grabbed her shoulders-pulling her to him.  
  
Dylan  
The kiss that Anthony gave me this time was one of the more passionate ones he'd given me so far. It seemed he was pleased with the fact I had told him I loved him.  
  
I was still surprised I had said the words out loud. When you grow up an orphan and a rebel, you don't use the word 'love' too much.  
  
I had told Seamus O'Grady that I loved, but I was only saying it to the façade he had built around him. So it really didn't have any meaning when I told him my feelings.  
  
I know that for Anthony, there was no façade. He did not keep his nature hidden away inside. And I knew that I really did love him.  
  
When we broke apart, I found myself breathing harshly. I glanced up at him and said, "Let's go out."  
  
He glanced down at me in surprise.  
  
"Just to grab a bite to eat. Maybe we can go to the Promenade," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck.  
  
Anthony looked like he wasn't too happy, but nodded that we should go/  
  
"If you don't want-" I began.  
  
He cut me off by kissing me passionately again.  
  
"I'll get changed and we'll go," I said, breathlessly again.  
  
He nodded and let me go. He walked over to the armchair and picked up his parents photograph and put it inside his pocket.  
  
I turned and went up the stairs to change out of my outfit. As I looked through the clothes in my closet, I thought to myself, "I never know what to wear on a date." I stopped and thought, "I'm going to go on a date with Anthony."  
  
The idea was laughable. Quiet, withdrawn Anthony and wild, uncontrollable Dylan Sanders going out in public as a couple. "Yeah it's funny, but not really," I thought as I changed out of my outfit I had worn at the Mission.  
  
Anthony  
As he waited for Dylan, Anthony walked into the kitchen and placed his cane on the counter. He knew that Dylan would probably have him leave it here.  
  
"You can bring that with you, you know," Dylan said behind him. "As long as you don't hurt anyone with the sword."  
  
Anthony turned around and saw that she was standing just behind him.  
  
She was wearing black pants and a blue shirt that had no sleeves. As she spoke, she pulled on a jacket that was a little longer than her arms. The necklace from the orphanage was hanging outside her shirt this time.  
  
"Let's go," she said, green eyes sparkling.  
  
They walked out to her car and Dylan handed Anthony the keys.  
"You look beautiful," he signed after he started the car.  
  
She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thanks. And you look really good in that suit."  
  
He shrugged in response and then backed the car out of the driveway. 


	11. XI:Another Attack in Santa Monica Dylan...

Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie's Angels or the Santa Monica Promenade.  
  
A/N: Thanks a bunch to Scarr C for putting up three reviews; glad to see you're reading!  
  
XI  
Another Attack in Santa Monica  
Dylan and Anthony  
  
As we drove down the freeway, I looked over at Anthony's suit and suddenly thought of something. "Maybe we should stop at your home," I said out loud. "Get some clothes for the next couple of days  
  
He glanced over at me and then nodded. He swerved across the freeway and got off at the first exit we came to. At the red light, Anthony seemed to take in his surroundings before turning to the right.  
  
After driving for about ten minutes, we pulled up at an old brick building.  
  
I glanced around; this area looked to have mostly industrial buildings. "Where do you live?" I asked, confused.  
  
Not answering me, Anthony got out of the car and walked to the steel door of the building. There was a fingerprint id panel, and he placed his hand on it. There was a beeping noise and then the door swung open.  
  
I had walked up to Anthony, and was surprised to look inside and see that the room in front of me was empty. I stepped inside and I saw the metal staircase to the right of the door.  
  
Anthony closed the door behind him and walked past me to the stairs, motioning for me to follow him.  
  
The second floor of the building was his apartment. There were four rooms; a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and a family room.  
  
"I'm going to take a shower and change," Anthony signed to me.  
  
"Okay, I'll stay out here and wait for you," I said. He nodded and left, and I found myself looking around the room.  
  
All I could say about it was that it was white and extremely clean. The only color in the room was two black leather armchairs. No paintings, no books or television.  
  
Despite the ordinary look of the room, I found myself liking this place. It suited Anthony's personality really well. And as I sat down in one of the armchairs-I could see how the white would soothe him after come back from killing someone.  
  
I leaned back and closed my eyes. I must have nodded off, because the next thing I knew, Anthony was shaking me by my shoulders. "How long was I asleep?" I asked, rubbing my eyes and stifling a yawn.  
  
"Not long," he signed. He had a black duffel bag on the floor next to him. "I'm ready to go," he then signed.  
We left the building, Anthony making sure the door was locked. I was about to hand him the car keys when he stopped me.  
  
"I've driven enough. And it's your car anyway," he signed.  
  
With that, I got into the car and we continued on to Santa Monica.  
  
Anthony  
He had never liked being around large groups of people. The only time Anthony allowed himself to go to crowded places when he was protecting Dylan.  
  
This was a different situation, however. He was going willingly into a crowded place this time. And he was going out to eat with Dylan; it was almost like a first date.  
  
After Dylan had parked on a quiet street block from the Promenade, Anthony held his cane in his left hand.  
  
"There's a restaurant about halfway down the Promenade," Dylan said. She walked over to the sidewalk where Anthony was standing. "Do you like Indonesian food at all?"  
  
Anthony shrugged and signed, "Never had it."  
  
"I think you'll like it," Dylan said. She took his hand and entwined her fingers with his.  
  
They walked to the restraint in silence, but Anthony kept glancing down at their hands, clasped together.  
  
Dylan  
Dinner turned out to be a lot of fun. The restaurant we went into was only big enough for six people to eat in. I ended up having to teach Anthony how to eat his food with chopsticks. And the best part was we had a long conversation about what we liked best about California.  
  
When we had finished, we strolled around the Promenade for a while before we headed back to my car. We were passing a movie theater when a large amount of people started coming out.  
  
Somehow, I was separated from Anthony. I looked around for a few moments, but I didn't see him. All of a sudden, my arm was grabbed and I felt the small sting of a needle being injected into my arms. The next thing I knew, I was being dragged off to the alley behind the theater.  
  
I turned around, and came face to face with one of the thugs who had attacked me before.  
  
Before I could react, this man wrapped his hands around my throat and began squeezing, hard.  
  
I was starting to feel the effects of whatever he had injected me with. My arms and legs were going numb, and all I could do was move my fingers slightly.  
  
"Got a message from 'J,'" the thug said with a British accent. "You 'ave two more days to investigate. Good luck Angel." He started to squeeze even more tightly.  
  
I opened my mouth to try and yell for help, but all that came out was a wheezing sound.  
  
Out of nowhere, a familiar black cane swung by and hit the thug hard on the head. He fell to the ground, unconscious and his head was bleeding.  
  
Now that I had been let go of, I breathed in deeply. When I exhaled, a horrible rattling sound came from my throat.  
  
Anthony helped me stand up and then he saw that I couldn't walk too well. He put his arm around my waist and led me back to the Promenade.  
  
When we got closer to my car, the numb feeling went away from my limbs. I told Anthony that I could walk, but he held onto me, ignoring what I had said. Usually I would hate it when a guy tried to treat me like I'm weak. But I was enjoying Anthony's arm around my waist- so I didn't argue about that.  
  
When we got to my car, Anthony signed, "I think it's better if I drove. You need to get your breath back."  
  
I nodded and handed the keys over to him. I got onto the car, and as Anthony drove us back home, I recalled what the thug had told me. "Anthony, the guy who attacked me said we only have two days left until 'J' contacts us again," I said.  
  
He glanced at me and signed, "I have a feeling that 'J' will make sure they aren't found out until they want us to know who they are." 


	12. XII: Aftereffects Dylan and Anthony

A/N: A great big thanks to villianbabe, Scarr C and Justin11 for your kind reviews. You guys all rock! Also this chapter is chock full of Dylan/Anthony romance-but I know you guys won't mind ;)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie's Angels or the characters (except for 'J'). Also I made up Kromain and Proxim, they don't exist.  
  
XII  
Aftereffects  
Dylan and Anthony  
  
As soon as we got home, Anthony had me sit at the kitchen table while he made me a cup of tea.  
  
"You know, I prefer coffee to tea," I said after I took a sip.  
  
"Tea is better for sore throats," Anthony signed, sitting in the chair next to me.  
  
"Where'd you hear that?" I asked.  
  
"Orphanage," he signed.  
  
We sat in silence for a while before I spoke up. "You know, despite the fact that I was almost strangled to death, tonight wasn't too bad," I said.  
  
A faint smile appeared on Anthony's face and he signed, "We should try it again sometime. Hopefully no one will try and kill us if we do."  
  
I laughed a low, hollow chuckle that sounded nothing like me. The next thing I knew, my hands were shaking so badly that the tea in my mug sloshed out onto my hands. I shook my head and turned to Anthony. "W-what's h-h- happening to me?" I asked, my teeth chattering.  
  
He got out of the chair so quickly that it fell onto the floor. He came to me and lifted me up into his arms.  
  
By that time my teeth were chattering so violently that I was only able to whisper, "M-make it st-stop, Anthony." I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned my forehead against his temple as he carried me up the stairs.  
  
Anthony He stood on the balcony, smoking a cigarette and listening to the soft breathing of Dylan, who was sleeping.  
  
After Anthony had put her on her bed, he went into the restroom and got a syringe and an ampoule from Dylan's well-stocked first-aid kit. He came out and sat on the edge of the bed, preparing the syringe. He then took off Dylan's jacket, and injected her on her upper arm.  
  
As Dylan fell asleep, Anthony recalled the last time he had seen the drug's aftereffects. He had been eleven, and a boy who had been injected with the drug had been left at the orphanage. Anthony had found the boy and had watched the nuns inject the counter drug into his upper arm-stopping the seizures that the aftereffects had instigated.  
  
The drug was called Kromain and was a kind of Novocain for the arms and legs. In large doses, Kromain's aftereffects cause violent epileptic-like seizures. The counteracting drug was a small dose of a liquid antibody called Proxim.  
  
Once the Proxim took effect, Dylan's teeth stopped chattering, and she fell asleep.  
  
Anthony's jaw clenched in anger. It was lucky that Dylan had been injected with a small amount of Kromain and that she had some Proxim in her medical supplies. If he hadn't given the counter drug to her-it was likely she would have slipped into a coma and died.  
  
Throwing his cigarette over the balcony, a low moan from inside the room reached his ears and made him turn around quickly.  
  
Dylan I was dreaming again. I was at Knox's and soon enough I was on the rooftop, kissing Anthony. Before O'Grady could appear, I felt someone shaking me, and I opened my eyes.  
  
Sitting next to me, on the edge of the bed, Anthony gave me a concerned look and signed, "How are you feeling?"  
  
"I'm okay," I said, sighing and rubbing my eyes as I sat up. I glanced over the side of the bed and I saw my jacket on the floor. Then I saw the hypodermic needle on the nightstand with an ampoule next to it. "What the hell is that doing there?" I asked.  
  
Anthony signed that when my hands started to shake, I was feeling the aftereffects of the drug the thug had injected into me. He explained what it was and what the result of the drug was. After bringing me up to my room, Anthony had gotten the counter drug and injected me with it.  
  
"Thanks," I said softly. I started to rub my neck. I stopped suddenly and withdrew my hand, surprised at the pain I felt.  
  
Seeing my discomfort, Anthony pushed my head back gently and looked at my neck. "It's bruised," he signed to me when he let me go.  
  
I touched my neck softly, and then looked at him. "That's the fourth time you saved my life, the counter drug," I said.  
  
"I wouldn't be able to live if you died," Anthony signed. He wasn't looking at me, and I could have sworn that he was embarrassed.  
  
I smiled and reached out, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. As I hugged him, I whispered into his ear, "I don't think I'd live without you either."  
  
Anthony then wasted no time in putting his arms around me and claiming my lips with his. While we kissed, he gently pushed me back down on the pillow.  
  
I felt a little daring and I let my tongue dart out to touch his own tongue. I could tell that Anthony was a little surprised by my action, but the next thing I knew, our tongues were dueling for dominance. I moaned a little bit and he pulled back, breaking the kiss.  
  
Before I could protest, Anthony started to kiss my neck. Being careful with the bruises there, he placed very soft, gentle kisses.  
  
While he was doing that, I closed my eyes and sighed, enjoying the tenderness with which he was kissing me. My hands seemed to have a mind of their own and were going through Anthony's hair, messing it up.  
  
After a couple of minutes, Anthony placed a kiss on my chin and started to stand.  
  
I opened my eyes and looked up at him.  
  
"You need rest, I will go downstairs and keep guard," he signed, and with that he turned to leave.  
  
"Anthony wait," I called out. "Why don't you stay and sleep here with me? I'm sure that you could use some rest."  
  
"What if someone comes and attacks us?" he signed.  
  
"'J' probable won't send anyone until our time is up for investigating them," I said.  
  
Nodding, Anthony walked over to the other side of the bed and sat down on the edge.  
  
When he lay down next to me, I immediately turned to him and rested my head on his chest. "Anthony, don't you think you should take your jacket and tie off to sleep?" I asked, raising my head.  
  
He shook his head slightly, looking a little uncomfortable at what I had suggested.  
  
I was always very impulsive, and the next thing I knew, I was taking the knot out of Anthony's tie.  
  
He watched me curiously, but made no move to stop me. He was obviously enjoying my aggressiveness.  
  
Once the tie was off, I forced him to sit up and then took off his jacket. I chucked it onto the floor next to the tie while Anthony settled back down on the bed. I rested my head on his chest again and closed my eyes. As I drifted off to sleep, I felt Anthony's arm wrap around my back and he then pulled me closer to him. 


	13. XIII:Teases and Taunts Anthony and Dyl...

A/N: Not much romance in this chapter, I'm just having this as a transition.  
  
XIII  
Teases and Taunts  
Anthony and Dylan  
  
Anthony woke up the next morning to find a slight pressure on his chest. He glanced down and saw that Dylan was laying her head on his chest. Knowing that he would not sleep anymore, Anthony lay as still as he could, listening to Dylan's slow breathing.  
  
A few minutes later, the shrill sound of Dylan's cell phone woke her up. Without moving, she reached over and grabbed her phone off of the nightstand. "Hello?" she said sleepily. "Okay, Anthony and I'll be right in. She turned off the phone and sat up. "We need to get going," she said. Then she got up from the bed and went to her closet to get dressed.  
  
Getting up, Anthony grabbed his jacket and tie from the ground before going to the guest room to change.  
  
Dylan As we walked into the office, Anthony signed to me, "Do you have the note?"  
  
"It's right here," I said, puling the note out of my jacket pocket. Inside the office, Alex and Natalie were already sitting on the couch in front of Bosley's desk.  
  
"Hey Dylan," Natalie said as I sat down on the couch next to her. "What's that?"  
  
"Another note from our friend 'J'" I said, handing the note to Natalie so she and Alex could read it.  
  
"Whoever he is-" Alex started to say, when the phone on the desk started to ring.  
  
"Good morning Angels," Charlie's voice said.  
  
"Good morning Charlie," the three of us said back to him.  
  
"What have you figured out so far girls?" Charlie then asked.  
  
Alex and Natalie talked about what they had found out at the FBI office. When they were done, I told them about the Mission and Jaime Camden.  
  
"That's not the whole story though," I said. "Yesterday afternoon I got that letter from 'J.' And it said we had three days to investigate until they would contact us again."  
  
"He's taunting us," Alex said. "He must get satisfaction from the fact that he's tagging us along by letting us investigate him."  
  
"Well we do know that 'J' has a violent side too," I said dryly.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Natalie asked.  
  
I pulled down the collar of my shirt and showed them the bruises on my neck.  
  
"Oh my god, how did that happen?" Alex asked in a concerned tone of voice.  
  
"I was leaving the Promenade with Anthony, when we got separated," I explained. "One of 'J's' thugs grabbed me and dragged me to an alley. Then he started strangling me."  
  
"Why didn't you fight back?" Natalie asked.  
  
"He injected me with some Kromain and that-" I started to say.  
  
"Kromain! Is that right?" Alex asked. She looked past me and at Anthony.  
  
He nodded and signed, "It was a very small dose though."  
  
"Did you inject her with the Proxim when the aftereffects started?" Alex then asked.  
  
Anthony nodded and signed, "Luckily the shaking wasn't too bad."  
  
"Who stopped the thug?" Natalie asked.  
  
"Anthony did," I answered.  
  
"Thank goodness for that," Charlie said, a relieved tone in his voice. "Did this thug have a message Dylan?"  
  
"He said that now we've only got two days to investigate 'J,'" I answered.  
  
"Then you shall do so until out time is up Angels," Charlie said firmly. "Now Bosley, I understand that you were searching for Jamie Camden yesterday."  
  
Bosley, who had been standing next to his desk, jumped slightly and fumbled with the keyboard on his laptop. "I looked through FBI records and there were about forty Jamie Camdens."  
  
"Angels, I believe that our 'J' is likely to be one of those forty that Bosley has located for us," Charlie said.  
  
"We can research each one of them to see if there's a possibility of them being our friend 'J,'" Alex said.  
  
"Won't that take a lot of time?" I asked, not thrilled with the idea of research.  
  
"It's all that we have to go on at this point Angels," Charlie said.  
  
Later that afternoon, I found myself sitting at the kitchen table, my laptop in front of me. I had been looking through the fifteen Jamie Camdens that Bosley had found.  
  
It was a very lengthy process and it took up all of my concentration. After I finally finished the last one, I picked up my phone and called Natalie. "Hi Nat, it's me," I said when she answered her phone.  
  
"Oh hi Dylan,' Natalie said cheerfully.  
  
"I'm guessing that you finished with your Jaime Camdens?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah, every one had nothing to do with the Carmel Mission," Natalie answered. "What about you?"  
  
"I just finished mine, and none of them was our 'J,'" I said.  
  
"Well, since we've got the rest of the day off, how about Spike and I come over there and keep you company?" Natalie asked.  
  
"What about Alex?" I asked.  
  
"She was still working when I called her," Natalie answered.  
  
"Okay. Well its fine with me, but don't forget that Anthony's here too," I said.  
  
"That's all right, I'll be there in twenty minutes," Natalie said.  
  
"Okay, bye," I said, and then I hung up the phone. Closing my laptop, I stood and stretched, wondering where Anthony was. I looked around the house before finding him practicing his fighting with his sword outside. I leaned against the window, watching as he practiced, studying his stature.  
  
O'Grady and Emmers had been more buff and muscular. Anthony however was thin, but he had a lot of strength and was well-toned, and that was just fine with me.  
  
When Natalie came to the house, Anthony had just stepped into the kitchen.  
  
I went and opened the door for Natalie and was greeted by a flurry of licks on my face. "Spike!" I cried out, laughing. "Easy boy, easy!"  
  
"He likes you Dylan," Natalie said, stepping into the house.  
  
I rolled my eyes and set Spike, Natalie's one year old pug, on the ground.  
  
With a high-pitched yip, the dog ran straight towards the kitchen, nails clattering on the wood floor.  
  
I walked into the kitchen, and was surprised at what I was seeing.  
  
Anthony was sitting at the kitchen table, but he was leaning over and petting Spike. There was a look of absolute contentment on Anthony's face as he looked down at the dog.  
  
"Ooo, that's so sweet," Natalie whispered, coming up behind me.  
  
I looked at the scene in front of me and smiled. Then I looked and Anthony and thought. "A sinner? Not anymore." 


	14. XIV:Back to the Orphanage Dylan and A...

A/N: I just wanted to add a note the last chapter: It's not likely that Natalie and Pete would have a pug, but I made Spike one because I have a pug myself and I couldn't resist adding one in this story.  
  
A/N 2: I changed the name of the orphanage because I don't remember the name of it anyway(. And the island of Santa Cruz is actually off the coast of Long Beach (around that area anyway) and I have the orphanage on an island because it goes with what will happen in the story.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie's Angels or its characters.  
  
XIV  
Back to the Orphanage  
Dylan and Anthony  
  
It was two days later when I heard the sound of a window breaking. I sat up and looked around me. I had been sleeping next to Anthony in my bed when the crash came.  
  
I felt Anthony sit up and get up off the bed next to me. He ran down the stairs and I followed him closely.  
  
Inside the living room, we found what had caused the crashing noise. A brick had been thrown through the front window.  
  
I sighed as I sighted the noted tied to the brick, "No one can just slip a letter under the doorway," I said.  
  
"Stay here," Anthony sighed. He had put his shoes back on so he walked over the glass to get the note from the brick. He walked back to me and handed me the note.  
  
I opened it and my eyes widened in shock at what was written.  
  
"What is it?" Anthony signed. I gave him the note and he read it, his eyes narrowing.  
  
There had only been one sentence on the paper: "Go to St. Catherine's Orphanage-the one where the mute is from- on Santa Cruz Island tomorrow at 12 noon."  
  
"I must say this is very strange," Charlie said.  
  
It was nine and we were all in the office. I had just told everyone what the note to me and Anthony had said.  
  
"I got a not form 'J' too," Natalie said. She handed me a piece of white paper. As I read it, she said, "It was attached to a brick. Someone threw it in through a window facing the ocean. It scared poor Spike."  
  
"What does it say, Dylan?" Bosley asked.  
  
"'Do not go to the Orphanage with the mute or the red-haired Angel. If you do so, the consequences will be fatal,'" I read out loud.  
  
"I got the same note this morning to," Alex said, holding up a piece of paper. "It scared my cousins half to death."  
  
"I don't like this," I said, biting my lower lip.  
  
"What else can we do but follow his directions?" Alex asked. "If we go, he'll probably kill us as soon as we show up at the orphanage."  
  
"Don't think we don't want to go and help you, Dylan," Natalie said comfortingly.  
  
"I know," I said, smiling weakly. "And it's not like I'll be alone if anything happens. Anthony will be there."  
  
"I guess that it is settled girls," Charlie said. "But Dylan and Anthony, I'd like you to take vests as an added precaution."  
  
"We will, Charlie," I answered.  
  
Anthony  
The next day at eleven thirty, Dylan and Anthony were on the ferry to Santa Cruz Island, where the orphanage was located. The ferry was nearly empty; a few bicyclers were on the boat as there was a bike trail on the island.  
  
Anthony was standing at the railing on the side of the ship, when Dylan came up behind him.  
  
"I thought you could use a hot drink," she said, giving him a Styrofoam cup. The wind was cold and the sun was partly hidden behind some clouds.  
  
Taking the drink, Anthony nodded his thanks and turned back to look out at the ocean.  
  
"How long has it been since you've visited the Orphanage?" Dylan asked, leaning against the railing next to him.  
  
"When I took Emmers' car there," he signed.  
  
"Six months," Dylan said. Looking out at the ocean, she reached over and placed her hand on top of Anthony's.  
  
He looked down at her hand on top of his. Then he turned his hand, palm side up, and laced his fingers with hers.  
  
The rest of the trip to the island was passed in silence by the tow as they stood at the railing, looking out at the ocean.  
  
Dylan  
As Anthony drove my car up to the orphanage from the ferry, I tried to keep myself warm. When we had left on the ferry at San Pedro, it was a cool day, but on the island it was at least twenty degrees colder. I pulled my jacket around me more tightly and glanced over at Anthony. He didn't seem to be too troubled by the cold, even though the long jacket he was wearing was thin.  
  
"It's so cold," I heard myself say out loud. "How can you stand it?"  
  
"I spent ten years of my life on this island," he signed, driving with one hand. "You learned to get used to it and not to complain to the nuns."  
  
"What would happen if you complained?" I asked.  
  
"They would tell us how Jesus suffered through worse things than the cold," Anthony signed.  
  
"Anthony, did you have any friends at all when you were here?" I asked.  
  
He shook his head as a simple response.  
  
"Then what did you do with your free time? Did you ever play?" I asked.  
  
Again, Anthony shook his head. "I preferred to sneak down to the beach behind the orphanage," he signed.  
  
"What did you do while you were there?" I asked.  
  
"I would sit on the sand and read sometimes," he signed. "Or I would collect seashells and take them back to my room."  
  
"What classes did you do good in?" I then asked. It was a stupid thing to ask, but I was anxious about what we would find at the orphanage.  
  
Glancing over at me, Anthony signed, "I did best in my foreign language classes and my literature class."  
  
I nodded. "I was always a bad student. The officials at my schools said I was a trouble maker."  
  
"You are smart though," Anthony signed.  
  
I shrugged and said, "They told me my IQ was average, but I was truant so many times, they said it didn't make any difference what my IQ was."  
  
"They were a bunch of idiots then," he signed.  
  
"How so?" I asked, confused.  
  
"There are different ways to be intelligent," Anthony signed.  
  
"Like what?" I said.  
  
"You are and intelligent fighter, and that's an important quality," he signed. "I'm sure that that was the reason you were asked to be an Angel."  
  
I laughed and said, "I guess you're right." Up ahead, the orphanage came into view. "I guess we'll see what 'J' has for us now," I said. 


	15. XV: An Almost Normal Life Dylan

A/N: Thanks to villianbabe and Scarr C for your lovely reviews. And an extra thanks to Scarr C for pointing out that the orphanage was called 'Our Lady of Perpetual Virginity.' I'm going to keep it named St. Catherine's here though since I love the name Catherine ;)  
  
XV  
An Almost Normal Life  
Dylan  
  
Anthony stepped up to the front door of the Orphanage and knocked on it a few times.  
The door opened and a nun stood behind it. "The Mother Superior is expecting you. Follow me please," she said.  
I glanced at Anthony, surprised that they were waiting for us.  
He shrugged back at me and motioned for me to go inside first.  
I followed the nun through the entryway, looking around as I went. When I had come here last time with Alex and Natalie, I didn't really look around too much.  
It seemed comfortable and spacious, but there was a sense of sadness here. I put that down to the fact that these kids were orphans after all.  
The nun had stopped in front of a large door and she knocked on it lightly.  
"Come in please," a voice from inside called.  
The nun opened the door and gestured for us to go inside.  
I walked inside first and nodded to the Mother Superior, who was sitting at her desk.  
Anthony then walked in, and the Mother Superior's eyes seemed to soften when she saw him. "Good afternoon Anthony, Ms.?" she trailed off looking at me.  
"Dylan Sanders," I said. I knew that she recognized me from when I had last come here, disguised as a nun.  
"Ms. Sanders," the Mother Superior said. "Please sit down." When we had done so, she opened a desk drawer and pulled out a piece of paper. "I received this note early today, one of the sisters found it on the front porch." She handed the letter to me.  
I looked down at the paper and read it quickly before handing it to Anthony so he could read it. This letter had said: "To the Mother Superior of the St. Catherine's Orphanage on Santa Cruz Island, Expect a visit from a red-haired woman and a mute whom you call Anthony. They are to remain there on the island until six o'clock, when another note shall be delivered to the Orphanage for them.  
If they do leave the island before six, the children under your care shall be seriously, perhaps fatally harmed. J"  
"Naturally I called the police on the mainland as soon as I read that," the Mother Superior said. "They thought that the note was most likely a prank by some child."  
"I'm sorry to place the children in danger," Anthony signed, giving the letter back to the Mother Superior.  
"What did he say?" she asked me.  
"He said that he's sorry that the children are in danger because of him," I explained. "And I'm sorry to put the children in danger too."  
"It's neither of your faults," the Mother Superior said. "The devil is obviously strong with this person." She shook her head and sighed. "Since you are to stay here until six, might I recommend a visit to the beach behind the house? And if you are hungry, I can have one of the sisters put together lunch for you to take down there with you."  
I looked over at Anthony, and he nodded at me. "That would be nice," I said.  
"Very well, I'll go and ask Sister Heather to get your lunch ready," the Mother Superior said, standing up. She paused for a moment and said, "I'm wondering Anthony, who taught you sign language?"  
Anthony inclined his head towards me as we stood up from our chairs.  
The Mother Superior's gaze settled on me and then she saw Anthony's necklace that I was wearing. Understanding filled her eyes and she smiled softly at me before walking out of the office.  
  
A few minutes later, we were in the back of the house and Sister Heather was handing Anthony a basket that was covered by a napkin. "There is some soda to drink in there," she told us. "And Mother Superior let me know what sandwiches you like to eat, Anthony."  
"Thanks a lot," I said. With that, we turned and walked down the hill towards the beach.  
The way down was a little treacherous and rocky, and Anthony walked ahead of me.  
I walked behind Anthony, looking out at the view, when he suddenly stopped and I almost ran into him. "What's wrong?" I asked.  
He turned to me and gave me the basket. "There's a small drop-off here," he signed. "We'll have to jump down." He turned back around, walked up to the edge and then jumped down.  
I hurried over to the edge and looked down. Anthony was looking up and was holding his hand out for the basket. I handed it down to him and I jumped down to the grassy area beneath me.  
Anthony took my hand and he led me to a small tree that was growing on the edge of the grass, near the sand.  
I looked around me as we sat down in the shade of the tree. "This is nice," I said. "I can see why you came here."  
"When I was here, I could forget who I was," Anthony signed. He then unpacked the basket and we ate our lunch in silence.  
  
When we had finished eating, I glanced down at my watch and sighed. "It's only one," I said. I then stood up and said to Anthony, "I'm going down there and look for seashells.  
He smiled faintly and then stood, "I'll join you," he signed.  
We walked down to the sand and started sifting through it, looking for shells. After doing that for a while, we walked back to the shade of the tree.  
As I sat down on the grass, I felt my self starting to get drowsy from being full and the sun, which was shown down on the beach. I then leaned against Anthony's arm, resting my head on his shoulder.  
He moved his arm so that it was wrapped around me.  
I smiled and closed my eyes, saying, "This is nice. You know, there are times when I want to have a normal life, you know, without cases or fighting. But then I think about how bored I would probably get if my life was normal."  
Anthony put his free hand over one of mine and had my fingers sign his answer. "I don't think a normal life would really agree with you," he signed. "You're a fighter and probably always will be."  
I laughed at that and then I signed under his hand, "And so are you."  
Anthony placed a soft kiss on my forehead.  
I sighed in pleasure and wrapped my arms around his chest. In a matter of moments, the sound of the ocean, the sun and then the sound of Anthony's heart beating lulled me to sleep. 


	16. XVI: Silence is Broken Dylan and Anthony

A/N: Thanks to villianbabe for posting such a kind review of the last chapter! I really appreciate it!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie's Angels or it's characters.  
  
XVI  
Silence is Broken  
Dylan and Anthony  
  
I woke up suddenly to the sound of thunder. I pulled away from Anthony and looked around me. "What was that?" I asked.  
  
He pointed to the ocean, where a tall wake broke on the beach in front of us.  
  
"I could have sworn that was thunder," I said, shaking my head. It was then that I noticed that the sun was far to the left of us. I looked at my watch. "It's five-thirty, we should head back."  
  
Anthony nodded and stood up. He reached down and helped me stand.  
  
We climbed up the drop-off and walked back up the hill to the Orphanage.  
  
As we walked, the breeze blew cold and I buttoned my jacket again.  
  
When we reached the Orphanage, a nun came out on the steps. "The Mother Superior wanted to let you know that some food is available for you in the kitchen," she said to the two of us.  
  
"Has a letter arrived for us?" I asked the nun.  
  
"No ma'am," she answered, taking the basket from me. She then turned and walked into the house.  
  
"Let's go inside," Anthony signed to me. Placing a hand on my back, he led me inside and we walked to the kitchen.  
  
Inside, there was a platter of thickly-sliced bread and cheese for us to eat. When I grabbed a piece of bread, the Mother Superior walked into the room. "Ms. Sanders, may I speak to you in privacy for a moment?" she said to me.  
  
I looked over at Anthony, and he just shrugged. I turned and walked over to the Mother Superior. "Is anything wrong?" I asked.  
  
"Come," she answered. She then walked to the hallway outside the kitchen and stood there, close to the kitchen doorway. "I wanted to ask you, what is your relationship with Anthony?" she asked.  
  
I glanced inside the kitchen at Anthony, who was standing at a window, looking outside. I turned back to the Mother Superior and said simply, "I love him."  
  
The Mother Superior's eyes widened in surprise. She then opened her mouth to say something, when a nun ran up to us.  
  
"I found this out front Mother Superior," she said, handing a folded piece of paper to the Mother.  
  
Without even glancing down at it, she gave the paper to me. "I'm sure that it is for you," she said.  
  
Anthony came over to stand next to me so he could read the letter over my shoulder.  
  
I unfolded the paper and read the letter. This one had one sentence on it. "It's too late too leave, you're mine now. J"  
  
"Oh my god," I said. "What time does the last ferry leave?" I asked the Mother Superior.  
  
"In two minutes," she answered.  
  
"We need to catch the ferry!" I said to Anthony. I grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the house and to my car. I jumped into the driver's seat and started the engine before Anthony had a chance to close the passenger side door.  
  
I pressed the gas pedal down to the floor and we took off, roaring. "Staying until six," I yelled to Anthony. "And reading the letter delayed us so we missed the last ferry. 'J' will probably kidnap or kill us between now and the time the first ferry will come in the morning. It's a trap!"  
  
We came out of a curve and we were able to see a boat, the ferry, already on its way to San Pedro.  
  
I slammed on the breaks and then got out of the car. "God damn it!" I yelled, hitting my hand on the hood of my car. "We're stuck here," I said as Anthony stood next to me.  
  
"We'll have to go back to the Orphanage," Anthony signed. "Mother Superior will let us stay in one of the extra rooms for the night."  
  
I sighed. "I guess we don't have any other choice," I said. "But we'll-"  
  
I was cut of by the sound of a loud click coming from my car.  
  
Anthony and I looked at each other and turned back to the Orphanage, running as fast as we could. We only got a couple of feet away from the car when it exploded, throwing us into the air.  
  
I landed hard on the grass and the wind was knocked out of me. I lay on the ground, getting my breath back. After awhile, I got on my knees and looked for Anthony.  
  
He was laying face down on the ground a little bit ahead of me, and he wasn't moving.  
  
"Anthony," I heard myself screaming. I crawled over to him and turned him over onto his back.  
  
His face was covered in cuts from flying debris and there was a huge bruise forming on his chin. His eyes were closed and there was soot all over his face.  
  
I reached out to take his pulse, when he grabbed my wrist and opened his eyes.  
  
"Are you okay?" I asked as Anthony sat up.  
  
He nodded and started standing up, pulling me with him.  
  
I looked at my car, which was smoldering now. "That bastard. I loved that car," I said mournfully.  
  
Anthony picked up his cane and then grabbed my arm and then we walked back to the Orphanage.  
  
Anthony  
When they got back to the Orphanage, the Mother Superior let them in and took them to a room on the third floor where they could stay for the night. "I will get a Sister to get some ointment and bandages for you," she said before leaving the room.  
  
Anthony looked over at Dylan when the Mother Superior left. She was standing at the window, looking outside.  
  
As if feeling his gaze on her, Dylan turned and smiled faintly at him. She had cuts on her face, and the cut above her eyebrow had re-opened and was still trickling blood.  
  
"Are you okay?" Anthony signed.  
"I'm fine," Dylan answered. "I'm just really angry about my car." She shook her head.  
  
There was a knock on the door and a nun came into the room with some medical supplies. She set them on the bed and then left the room.  
  
When they were done cleaning their wounds and washing the soot from their faces, Anthony walked over to the window, keeping guard.  
  
Dylan was stretched out on the bed, but she wasn't asleep.  
  
Anthony looked out at the light of California. He had told Dylan that beside the cuts and bruise, he was fine. But he could feel that something was wrong with his throat. He coughed and then he turned to Dylan.  
  
"What is it, what's wrong?" she said, sitting up.  
  
"D-Dylan," Anthony whispered hoarsely, speaking for the first time in almost thirty years. 


	17. XVII:Calm before the Storm Dylan and A...

A/N: Thanks so much to villianbabe, Virgina-Creepers, and Lady-of-the- Dragons for each of your kind reviews. I am very happy that you have let me know that you are enjoying my story.  
  
XVII  
Calm before the Storm  
Dylan and Anthony  
  
When I heard Anthony say my name, I felt like my jaw was on the ground, I was so surprised. I scrambled to get off the bed and went over to him. "Did you say my name?" I asked, still not believing what I had just heard.  
  
"Dy-Dylan," Anthony repeated.  
  
"You spoke," I whispered, placing my hand on his cheek. Saying it made the news sink into my brain and I then exclaimed, "You spoke!" I threw my arms around his neck, hugging him so he wouldn't be able to see that I was grinning like an idiot.  
  
Anthony wrapped his arms around my waist and hugged me back. "Dylan," he whispered again in a relieved tone of voice.  
  
I pulled back from him and looked into his eyes. I then took on of his hands that was around my waist and put it in my hair, making sure his fingers were wrapped around a lock of my hair.  
  
He looked down at me as he tightened his fingers around my hair. He then gave a surprised and questioning look.  
  
"Go ahead," I said softly. "I think you've earned it."  
  
Ecstasy replaced the questioning look on his face as he ripped out my hair. Anthony rubbed the hair against his cheek and then under his nose. He looked down at me, and I could tell that he was holding back from screaming.  
  
A few strands of his hair had escaped the gel that had held it in place. I reached up and pushed it back onto his head when I got an idea. Smoothing down his hair, I went back a little further on his head and then yanked out a strand of Anthony's hair.  
  
He hissed in pain and then stared at me in amazement as I brushed the hair against my cheek and under my nose. Then he put my lock of hair in his jacket pocket. Anthony reached out and placed his hands on my cheeks. He pulled me to him and kissed me passionately.  
  
I vaguely remember dropping Anthony's lock of hair on the floor before I clutched him behind his upper arms.  
  
This kiss was very similar to the one we had shared on the hotel rooftop six months ago. But the fact that we had more time and there was a kind of undercurrent that made both of us more.  
Anthony let go of my cheeks and started pulling off my jacket, not realizing that it was buttoned.  
  
"Wait, wait," I whispered when I pulled away from the kiss. I let go of Anthony and unbuttoned my jacket. Then I helped him take it off of me.  
  
As soon as the jacket was off, Anthony kissed me again, but this time he held me by my waist.  
  
I wanted to take off Anthony's jacket, but I didn't want to stop kissing him to do so.  
  
We broke apart to get some air, when Anthony slipped his hands under my shirt, touching the skin on my back.  
  
I gasped out loud, stopping the kiss at the sudden feeling of Anthony's hands on my skin. Not really realizing what I was doing, my hands loosened his tie and slipped under his collar, touching the skin under his neck.  
  
Very slowly, Anthony pushed me back towards the bed. When I came to the edge, he helped me lay down on the pillow.  
  
I realized that I wanted to make love to Anthony right then. It was a very strong desire and it made me start to loosen the knot in his tie. He surprised me by grabbing my hands and stopping me. I looked up into his eyes and I knew that we would have to continue this later. A deranged maniac was out to kill us; we had to get rid of 'J' first.  
  
Anthony moved back and then sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at me.  
  
I sighed and sat up, straightening my blouse. "You know I love you right?" I asked, reaching out and placing my hand on his cheek.  
  
Covering my hand with his own, Anthony opened his mouth to speak again. "I- I lo-ove," here he stopped, not able to say anymore, but I got the message.  
  
I smiled and said, "I'm going to have to teach you how to talk."  
  
Anthony nodded and then got up off the bed. He went over to the window, standing guard again.  
  
It was one o'clock in the morning, and I realized that I wouldn't be able to sleep. Leaning against the bed's headboard, I said to Anthony, "The Mother Superior asked me what kind of relationship we have, earlier today." Anthony turned to me and signed, "What did you tell her?"  
  
"That I love you," I said matter-of-factly.  
  
"She probably asked you that so she could tell you not to hurt me," Anthony signed. "But she doesn't know you too well."  
  
"No, she doesn't," I said smiling.  
  
After I said that we both lapsed into silence. I stayed on the bed; Anthony kept guard by the window.  
  
Anthony  
Near three-thirty in the morning, Anthony noticed two figures were creeping around the low wall near the stairs. "Dylan," he said a little haltingly, motioning for her to come.  
  
She walked to the window and peered down. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the two people outside and she said, "'J's thugs."  
  
Anthony turned and walked to the door, grabbing his cane from the chair it had been resting on.  
  
Dylan was right behind him, and together they ran down the stairs and out the back door.  
  
The two people saw them and they turned, running away from the house.  
  
Following them all the way down to the road down to the ferry, Anthony and Dylan were prepared when the thugs suddenly stopped and turned.  
  
With a high-pitched screech, Anthony raised his cane and went after one of the thugs. The man managed to grab the cane and they started to wrestle for it.  
  
The other thug had run to Dylan and they were kicking and hitting each other.  
  
The thug that Anthony was fighting suddenly fell to the ground. There was the sound of a gun firing, and Anthony felt a needle prick his shoulder. He yelled in pain and then raised his arm to try and hit the thug with his cane. Before he could do so, the tranquilizer in the needle took effect and he fell to the ground.  
  
Dylan saw Anthony fall down in the corner of her eye. She was distracted momentarily, and the thug she was fighting stepped back as a tranquilizer dart pierced her shoulder. In no time at all, Dylan was on the ground, unconscious. 


	18. XVIII: A Bad Situation Dylan and Anthony

A/N: Huge thanks to villianbabe for your very lovely review of the last chapter!  
  
A/N 2: Two bad words in this chapter, it's just a warning (this ff is rated PG-13 anyway)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie's Angels or its characters.  
  
XVIII  
A Bad Situation  
Dylan and Anthony  
  
I came out of unconsciousness, and I had no idea where I was. I wasn't on the grass on Santa Cruz Island, where I had fallen asleep. And I sure wasn't in the room at the Orphanage. I lifted my head up and looked around me.  
  
I was in a small room, a cell basically, which had high walls made of stone. I then sat up and saw the tiny window to the right of me. I got up and nearly fell down again from the dizziness.  
  
Once that had passed, I climbed up on the metal bed frame that was against the wall. My eyes were only able to look over the bottom of the window, and I knew where I was immediately. I was in one of the towers in the Carmel Mission.  
  
"Anthony," I said out loud, remembering that he had fallen to the ground back on the island. I jumped off the bed frame and ran to the door. Hitting it with my feet and fists, I started yelling, "Anthony!"  
  
Anthony  
He came out of the blackness and felt himself being carried. Anthony twisted and turned, trying to get out of grips of the four men who held him, but his arms and legs were bound together with rope and a lot of masking tape, and a bandana was tied around his head so it was in his mouth  
  
"Where should we put him J?" one man carrying Anthony called out.  
  
Lifting his head, Anthony looked around the room. He was in the command center Knox had had to find Charlie- it was an almost exact replica of what it had looked like before Knox had destroyed it. Every piece of equipment that Knox had before, had been replaced by slightly newer equipment in this room.  
  
"Just take him to the cell," a gravelly voice said from the shadows in the back of the room. "Norman just called and said the angel is hitting her cell door and calling for the mute."  
  
The thugs holding Anthony walked towards the stairs that were on the opposite side of the room.  
  
Anthony tried to lift his head again so he could see J, when the thug holding his right arm punched him in the nose, making it bleed.  
  
"Keep still you fucking mute, or else we'll kill you before you can see that pretty angel of yours," the thug yell in a thick British accent.  
  
"Letting himself be carried to the tower, Anthony kept himself as still as possible. Now was not the time to fight, and he had to make sure that Dylan was all right.  
  
Dylan  
I gave up on breaking down the door and yelling after ten minutes. I slid down to the ground, weakened from that and the tranquilizer, and gave an impatient sigh.  
  
A few minutes later, I heard voices outside the cell door. I stood up, and before I could go anywhere, the door was flung open.  
  
"Get back lass," a thug with a Welsh accent sneered, pushing me onto the metal bed frame. "Got a friend of yours here," he said, pointing out to door.  
  
I looked past him and saw four men coming up the stairs and carrying a figure clad in black. "Anthony!" I said. I started to get up, but the Welshman pulled out a gun and stopped me.  
  
The thugs brought Anthony in and set him on the ground in the middle of the cell.  
  
"Good luck getting him free, angel," the Welshman said to me. Laughing, he walked out the door with the other thugs, slamming it behind him and the locking it.  
  
I got off the bed frame and went over to Anthony, kneeling down next to him. "Are you all right?" I asked taking the bandana that was in his mouth off. I noticed that there was blood under his nose.  
  
He nodded and then said, "Dylan" in a questioning tone of voice.  
  
"I'm fine," I answered. I started to pull the masking tape off of his arms and said, "We're in the mission in Carmel."  
  
"I know," Anthony signed, though with some difficulty as his hands were still bound. "I was taken through the room where Knox had all his equipment when he was here. It's all been rebuilt."  
  
I pulled the last of the tape off and looked down at him. "Anthony, do you think that it could be Knox who's behind this?" I asked.  
  
Pulling off the rope that I had loosened, Anthony signed, "It's possible."  
  
I sat back as he started to free his legs. "It makes sense," I said, more to myself than to Anthony. "His real name was John and he probably had tons of money left from Knox Technologies."  
  
Finally free of the bindings, Anthony signed, "How did Knox die?"  
  
"Well, Alex had the missile that he fired come back and hit Knox's helicopter," I answered. All of a sudden, I thought of something. "I was in the copter when the missile was coming back, and although there was no way Knox could have gotten out of there without one of us seeing him, he could have survived." Anthony raised one eyebrow and I sighed. "Okay, maybe not. But who else could be behind this?"  
  
Anthony shrugged at that and got up off the floor. He went over to the bed frame and moved it away from the wall. Then he stood it on its end and climbed up to look out the window.  
  
"What are you doing?" I asked, standing up and walking over to the bed frame.  
  
Sticking his head out the window, Anthony ignored my question. He then came back in and jumped off the frame to the floor. "We're higher up than the cell in the original Mission was," he signed up to me.  
  
"So no escape that way," I said. I suddenly thought of my cell phone and searched my pockets for it. "Oh great! I said angrily. "My phone is in my jacket at the Orphanage."  
  
Anthony glanced at me and then balled his hands into fists.  
  
"Where's your cane?" I asked him.  
  
"I don't know," he signed. "It could still be on the island."  
  
"Damn it! We're in a really bad situation then," I said angrily. "It's just you and me against J and all those thugs." I then paused to think for a moment. "It would have made things a little easier if you had your cane with you."  
  
"But then I would not get to have any fun," a voice above us said.  
  
I turned around and looked up. There was a window that had blended into the wall beforehand. I saw a figure standing in the window, and I said, "J." 


	19. XIX: An Insane Revenge Dylan

A/N: Of course some thank yous are in order for the reviews I've gotten. Thanks to villianbabe (who's so faithful in reviewing each chappy), Alex (glad your liking the story!) and Skyfire4!  
  
A/N 2: This is the big chapter readers. Here you'll find out who J is. I hope that you will be surprised at who J is and if it's not too much trouble, let me know in your review if you were surprised by who J was. Thanks in advance!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie's Angels or its characters.  
  
XIX  
An Insane Revenge  
Dylan  
  
"In the flesh," the voice said, laughingly. "It is nice to finally meet you Angel, and you Mute Boy."  
  
"Who the hell are you?" I snapped, getting angry.  
  
"Temper, temper Angel," J said. Then the figure moved into the light and stared down at me. It was a woman. She had light brown hair and flashing, dark eyes. "You don't know who I am, do you?" she asked. Then she smiled evilly. "While you both may not recognize me, I daresay that you both knew my brother."  
  
When she said that, I realized that I had seen those eyes before, they were the exact same as her brother's. "You're Eric Knox's sister?" I asked, shocked.  
  
"Very good," J said in an impressed tone of voice. "You are not as stupid as I had first thought." Then she reached into her mouth and took out a voice synthesizer. "I am Juliana McCadden," her voice had a very thick British accent.  
  
"What are you going to do with us?" I asked. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Anthony nodding his head-he wanted to know too.  
  
"I shall torture and kill you both," McCadden said. "And my brother's death will finally be avenged."  
  
"Why Anthony?" I asked. "He didn't cause your brother's death."  
  
"No, but why should he survive a missile attack when my brother did no?" she spat at me.  
  
I took a step backwards and bumped into Anthony. This woman was completely out of her mind.  
  
"Now don't think I'm not a gracious woman," McCadden was saying. "I won't start the torture until tomorrow. And once you are dead, I'll make sure some of your teeth and bones are found by your friends."  
  
"You're not going to kill us until tomorrow?" I asked, surprised.  
  
"What's the matter Angel; want to get it over with?" McCadden sneered. "I'm letting you and your mute boyfriend have on more night together. As I said before, I am a gracious woman."  
  
"If you were so gracious, you would realize that your brother was insane," I said before I could stop myself. "He was going to kill and innocent man and he had to be stopped."  
  
Two spots of red appeared on McCadden's cheeks. "Ah yes, your precious Charlie," she said angrily. "I know that my dear brother thought he had to be killed. And I know that your Charlie was not responsible for my father's death. But my brother thought he was right, and he didn't deserve to be killed just because of that!"  
  
I glanced over at Anthony, and he looked back at me, concern in his eyes.  
  
"So it looks like the angels shall be reduced to two," McCadden said, getting her anger under control. "My man shall be sending you some food soon. Have a pleasant evening." With that, the woman turned and the room she had been standing in went dark.  
  
"She has got to be completely out of her mind," I said, turning to Anthony. The woman's mood changes had unsettled me and I did not want him to see that I was a little scared.  
  
He knew me too well though, and he signed, "Don't worry. Her insanity will work against her."  
  
I nodded and tried to smile, unsuccessfully though.  
  
An hour later, a flap in the cell door was opened and a tray and a bucket were pushed through. The tray had some bread on it, and the bucket was filled with water.  
  
Anthony went to the bucket, sat down and put his hands inside. Then he brought out his hands and drank the water he had managed to catch.  
  
I walked over to him and sat down. I took the bread from the tray and ripped in half. I gave on piece to Anthony and started eating the other half. In between bites, I watched Anthony as he ate his bread quickly. "I don't know how you can be so calm in here," I said. "It's a little unnerving."  
  
"I have learned that the best way to win a fight is to stay as calm as possible," he signed.  
  
I swallowed the last of my bread, then went over to the bucket and drank some water from my hands. "We need to think of a plan if we're going to survive fighting McCadden and her thugs," I said, standing up.  
  
"I think that J will want to deal with us by herself," Anthony signed, getting up.  
  
I thought about that for a moment and then said, "That's probably true. And if it is, then she's trained herself for this for almost three years."  
  
"Then we'll have to try and fight her together," Anthony signed. "I'm sure she can't fight two people at one, even if she trained for three years."  
  
Soon night came and the cell turned dark. I was tempted to go to the door and yell for a flashlight. I got up off the bed frame I had been perched on, when the two torches on the sides of the door lit up. "Self-lighting torches, I need to get some of those," I said.  
  
The flap on the door opened and a few minutes later, a gray bundle was pushed into the cell. "Mattress for the cot," a voice I recognized as the Welsh thug said. "Compliments of Missus McCadden. Good night and pleasant dreams." He laughed and we could hear his footsteps going down the stairs of the tower.  
  
Anthony went over and picked the mattress up off the ground. He set it on the bed frame and signed, "You should get some sleep."  
  
"How can I sleep?" I said, shaking my head. "There's just no way."  
  
He walked over to me and then grabbed my arm, pulling me to the cot. He pushed me down and made sure that I lay down on the mattress.  
  
"Okay, okay. I'll lie down, but I probably won't sleep," I said to him exasperatingly.  
  
"Good," Anthony signed. He took my hand and kissed it softly. Then he walked over to stand guard near the door. 


	20. XX:Cold, Warmth, Electricity and Blood ...

A/N: Thanks to villianbabe, Skyfire4, Miss Maya and Virginia-Creepers for your reviews. I'm glad that you were surprised by who J turned out to be. Keep reading and reviewing!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie's Angels or its characters.  
  
XX  
Cold, Warmth, Electricity and Blood  
Anthony and Dylan  
  
Anthony paced the cell throughout the night. He hated being confined in such a small space. And he knew that Dylan hated it here too. He glanced over at the cot and saw that she had fallen asleep. He smirked slightly. For all her protesting, Dylan had still slept.  
  
He knew that Dylan was right when she had said they were in a bad situation here. It was likely that J would have them fight her thugs before they could fight J herself. That would weaken him and Dylan enough so that when they got to J, it would not matter if they fought J together.  
  
Now he wished that he had his cane. It would have been a great help to have it to fight against J. But Anthony didn't have his cane, and he would have to make do without it. That was one of the reasons he admired Dylan- the fact that she did not depend heavily on weapons when she was fighting.  
  
As he passed the cot again, Anthony noticed that Dylan was moving around. She was waking up.  
  
Dylan  
I hadn't really meant to fall asleep, but the tranquilizer still hadn't worn off yet. I sat up on the cot, rubbing an eye. "Do you know what time it is?" I asked Anthony.  
  
"My watch is broken," he signed, answering me.  
  
"Mine too," I said. I then sat on the edge of the cot and watched Anthony as he paced around the cell. After a while, I began to notice that whenever he exhaled, a puff of white would escape from his mouth. I breathed out deeply, and saw that I could see my breath too.  
  
Shaking my head, I got off of the cot and walked over to the bucket of water. I looked inside and was surprised to see a ring of ice around the edge. Shivering, I stood up and wrapped my arms around myself. My jacket, like my cell phone, was at the Orphanage and all I had to keep me warm was a thin blouse.  
  
"Is that why you're walking around like that?" I asked Anthony as I sat down on the cot. "To keep warm?"  
  
He looked at me and shook his head. Then, seeing that I was shivering, he walked to me and made me stand up. He then started to rub my arms to try and get me warm. While he was doing that, he said, "Dylan," in a reassuring tone of voice.  
  
I sighed and then stepped forward, resting my head on Anthony's chest. I closed my eyes as he stopped rubbing my arms and wrapped his arms around me. I felt the cold go away and felt myself grow calmer.  
  
It was a perfect moment, but it didn't last for too long. The cell door opened and I heard McCadden say, sneeringly, "Now isn't that just lovely."  
  
Anthony whirled around to face the woman and then he started to run to her, anger on his face.  
  
Before he got five feet in front of her, McCadden pointed what looked like a remote at him and pressed the red button that was on it.  
  
Anthony's leg jerked out from under him and her fell to the ground, hard. He clutched his leg and hissed in pain.  
  
"Anthony!" I cried. I ran to him and helped him sit up. "What did you do to him?" I yelled at McCadden.  
  
Tossing the remote up and down, McCadden said. "I had an electric shocker planted in his leg. Yours too, Angel. When I press the button on one of the remotes, you'll receive a shock of electricity." She grinned and put the remote in her pocket. "Now the shock isn't strong enough to do you serious harm, but it is enough to stop you both from attacking me," she said.  
  
"So you'll make sure we can't fight by shocking us," I said. "And then you'll kill us."  
  
"Oh no, not at all," McCadden said. "You see, the shocker is just for now. Once the time comes, the remotes will be destroyed and then you'll fight me."  
  
"Luckily for you, we'll be weak from torture so you'll kill us easily," I spat out at her.  
  
"That is the idea," McCadden said. Then she started to laugh maniacally.  
  
"You bitch!" I yelled, my anger getting the best of me. I stood and ran towards her, ready to attack.  
  
Without blinking, McCadden pulled out another remote from a different pocket and pushed the button on it.  
  
Immediately, I felt a huge pain in my left leg. I fell to the ground, clutching it and trying not to cry out from the pain.  
  
"My men shall be coming back for you two soon," McCadden said. "You'd both best say your prayers." With that, she turned and left, closing the cell door and locking it.  
  
Anthony crawled toward me and signed, "The pain will go away in a few seconds." Then he took one of my hands off of my leg and entwined his fingers through my own.  
  
"We have to get these out of our legs," I said as the throbbing pain lessened. "You don't have a knife or anything on you?"  
  
Shaking his head, Anthony looked around the cell to see if there was anything he could use. Letting go of my hand, he stood and picked up the plastic tray that our bread had been on. Then he walked over to the cot and slammed the tray down on the metal frame.  
  
With a loud crack, the tray split down the middle and he tossed aside one of the halves. Then, Anthony hit the piece of tray against the metal again. This time, he had two smaller pieces-they both had sharp points.  
  
I stood up, as the pain in my leg was gone. I watched as Anthony took off his overcoat and started to rip it into long strips. "Anthony." I began, but I stopped.  
  
Once the jacket was nothing but a pile of strips on the cot, he signed to me, "Bring the bucket over here."  
  
I grabbed the bucket off of the ground and walked to where he was sitting, leaning against the wall on the cot. "Are you sure this is the only way Anthony?" I asked, knowing what he was going to do.  
  
He didn't answer me and he pulled up his pant leg. Then taking a sharp piece of the tray, he cut deeply into his skin, right where a burn from the electric shocker had been. After a while, Anthony took out a small silver chip that was covered in blood. He dropped the piece of tray and the chip on the cot and he signed, "Clean the wound with water and then tie some strips on it."  
  
I did so, noticing that while he hadn't cried out from the pain, he was very pale. Once I had wrapped the wound with the wool strips, I sat down on the cot.  
  
Anthony got up and motioned for me to lean back against the wall so he could get the chip out of my leg.  
  
I pushed myself back and leaned on the wall and I rolled up my pants leg. There was a horrible burn mark just under my knee and I winced.  
  
With the other piece of tray in hand, Anthony looked at me and signed, "This is going to hurt."  
  
I shook my head and said, "Just get it over with."  
  
He nodded and brought the piece of plastic down to my leg, cutting the skin.  
  
I could help it, and I cried out in pain, clutching the mattress so tightly my knuckles turned white.  
  
After a while, Anthony found the chip and took it out of my leg. Then he quickly poured the cold water on my leg to clean the wound. He started to wrap the strips of his coat around my leg, tying them tightly into place.  
  
He had finished, but the pain I was feeling was bad and I was sweating slightly.  
  
Cleaning his hands with the leftover water and drying them with the coat strips, Anthony did not see that I was shaking slightly. Then he looked up at me and his eyes widened. He got onto the cot and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close to him. "S-sorry D-Dylan," he said softly before he tilted my head up to his and he kissed me warmly. 


	21. XXI:Twenty Against Four Anthony and D...

A/N: Thanks a bunch for your kind reviews Alex and Skyfire4! Keep those reviews coming in!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie's Angels or its characters.  
  
XXI  
Twenty against Four  
Anthony and Dylan  
  
Pulling back and breaking the kiss, Dylan looked up at Anthony and said, "We need to think of a plan."  
  
Nodding, Anthony let go of her and got off the cot. He took a few steps, making sure the cut wouldn't re-open and bleed. When it didn't, he started to walk around the room, thinking intently.  
  
After a couple of minutes, he stopped and turned to Dylan. "I have an idea," he signed.  
  
Dylan  
  
It was only a few seconds after Anthony explained his plan to me, when we heard footsteps on the staircase outside the cell.  
  
I ran to stand in the middle of the room, while Anthony stood next to the door. I clenched my fists, getting ready to start fighting.  
  
The door opened and two thugs stood in the doorway. "Where the hell's the mute?" one of them shouted at me.  
  
At that moment, Anthony came out from behind the door and kicked the thug nearest to him. The man ducked, but Anthony hit the thug over the head with his arm.  
  
The other thug had taken out a walkie talkie. I ran over to him and kicked it out of his hand. I raised my leg to kick him in the head, when he grabbed my ankle and I fell to the ground.  
  
"You'll pay for that," the thug said. He swung his leg back and then brought it forward to kick me.  
  
Before he could do so, Anthony attacked the thug and kicked him the back.  
  
Once I was free, I rolled to the side to avoid getting crushed by the thug as he fell to the ground. I got up and brushed the dirt off of my blouse.  
  
Anthony was standing in the doorway, looking to see if anyone was coming. After awhile, he turned to me and signed, "Let's go."  
  
I picked up the thug's walkie talkie off the floor and took the batteries out, throwing both down. Then I followed Anthony out of the cell and down the spiral staircase.  
  
It was a labyrinth of long hallways and dead ends. I had no idea where we were going, and I got the feeling that Anthony didn't either. Also, we didn't see anyone when we walked through the hallways, and that was making me anxious.  
  
After a while, Anthony stopped and turned to me. "There's a room up ahead, we'll have to try and go out that way," he signed to me.  
  
I nodded and I followed him closely as we walked into the room.  
  
Anthony  
  
He looked around the room, his hands tightened into fists and his body tensed. Anthony remembered most of the old mission when he worked for Knox. But this room hadn't been in the mission before.  
  
"Do you know where we are?" Dylan asked, standing next to him.  
  
Anthony was about to sign something, when a voice from across the room spoke.  
  
"I had this room specially built for our fight," McCadden said, coming out of the shadows. "Now that you are here, the torture can begin." She took out two remote controls and pressed the button on each one. When Dylan and Anthony remained still, McCadden looked at them in confusion.  
  
"Next time, try not to leave things that can take out a chip in your prisoner's cell," Dylan said, obviously pleased with McCadden's reaction.  
  
"Well then, I suppose I'll just go straight to the fighting," McCadden said, throwing down the remotes. "You know, two against one is terribly unfair."  
  
"Why not try four against one?" a voice behind Anthony and Dylan said.  
  
Dylan  
  
It was a struggle to not let surprise show on my face. As Alex and Natalie stood next to me, I saw the anger on McCadden's face.  
  
"Well, this is unexpected," she said through gritted teeth. Then she thought of something and a small smirk appeared on her face. "Luckily I thought ahead to plan for a situation like this."  
  
A man walked into the room and stood next to McCadden. It was the mission Historian that had given me and Anthony the tour, Richard McShea. "Hello Angel," he said, leering at me.  
  
"Now then," McCadden said, pleased with the startled looks on Anthony's face and mine. "Let us try twenty against four."  
  
McShea snapped his fingers, and a bunch of thugs came out of the doorways that went around the room.  
  
"Make sure that the Blonde and the Asian are taken away from here," McCadden said to the thugs. "But the Mute and Red-haired Angel are mine."  
  
With that, the thugs set out to do their job, and all hell broke loose.  
  
****About half of the thugs went straight to Alex and Natalie, kicking and punching. Being trained fighters, Alex and Natalie quickly split up, taking on about four thugs each.  
  
Natalie used the heels on her shoes to injure two thugs. They fell to the ground, clutching their chests where the heel had punctured the skin. The other two thugs ran to Natalie at once, hoping to confuse her.  
  
Using her training, Natalie flipped backwards and the thugs nearly ran into one another. They stopped themselves in time, and they went after Natalie again. She was able to kick one in the head and render him unconscious. The other thug dodged Natalie's kick to the chest, and then he chased her through a doorway and down a hall.  
  
Alex was able to grab a chain that one of the thugs attacking her was carrying. She wasted no time in knocking out one of the thugs. The other thugs surrounded her and two of them distracted her while the third one pinned her arms behind her, forcing Alex to drop the chain.  
  
Flipping over the thug who held her, Alex broke the thug's arms and he fell to the ground, moaning in pain. The other two thugs looked at each other and then one pulled out a gun. Alex didn't hesitate and started for a doorway, although she hated the idea of running.******  
  
I didn't see any of this, as Anthony and I were busy dealing with the other half of the thugs. Since McCadden wanted to fight the both of us herself, the thugs just did their best to weaken us.  
  
Unlike Alex and Natalie, Anthony and I fought the thugs together. We quickly made half of the thugs unconscious by kicking them simultaneously. The other men saw what tactic we were using, and so they hastily separated us.  
  
Anthony made quick work of the three thugs he was fighting. He punched one in the stomach and then kicked his head. The last two ran over while he was doing that. One grabbed his arms and held them in place. The other thug kicked up and onto his shoulder, and Anthony screeched in pain.  
  
Wrenching himself from the thug's grip, Anthony punched the man who kicked him in the face. The other man he kicked back so the thug's head hit the wall with a loud whack.  
  
As for myself, I jumped up into the air and spun around, kicking two thugs in the face. They fell to the ground and I ran over to another thug and we fought furiously, kicking and punching. Finally I was able to kick the man in the ribs and they made a sickening crunching sound. He fell to the ground, gripping his sides.  
  
I turned around and raised my leg to hit the last thug, when he reached out and grabbed the cut on my leg roughly. I screamed in pain as he opened the wound and blood flowed down my leg.  
  
"That wasn't too smart," the thug smirked, thinking he had gotten the best of me.  
  
I surprised him though, and I kicked him in the face with my other leg. "That was pure genius," I couldn't help saying, mimicking the thug's British accent. I then started to stand up, having fallen to the ground, and Anthony helped me up.  
  
"Where's J?" Anthony signed to me.  
  
I looked over to where she had been standing earlier, and saw a flight of stairs. I pointed to them and said, "She went that way."  
  
Anthony ran past me and then up the staircase.  
  
I followed him, knowing that this was going to be the fight between us and McCadden. And either we or she would not leave the mission alive. 


	22. XXII: A Brutal and Ferocious Fight Dylan

A/N: Big thanks to villianbabe and Miss Maya for your reviews!  
  
A/N 2: This is the fight chapter. Dylan and Anthony vs. J. Hope you guys like this one!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie's Angels or its characters.  
  
XXII  
A Brutal and Ferocious Fight  
Dylan  
  
When we got to the top of the stairs, we stepped into a small room that had a large balcony over-looking the ocean. McCadden and McShea were there, looking out at the water.  
  
"Well, that was fast," McCadden said, noticing us. "Looks like those idiots of yours did exactly as I told them to Richard; good."  
  
"Who will I be fighting ma'am? McShea asked.  
  
"The Mute," McCadden answered. "And I'll be fighting the Angel."  
  
"What about our deal?" McShea asked apprehensively.  
  
"You'll have a chance to rape the Angel before I kill her. Don't worry," McCadden said soothingly.  
  
"Oh my god," I heard myself mummer.  
  
Anthony looked over at me and I was startled to see the amount of rage in his eyes.  
  
While Anthony had his head turned, McShea started to run towards him.  
  
"Look out!" I cried.  
  
Turning his gaze to McShea, Anthony simply raised his arm to block the kick that neared his head. And that started the fight between the two men.  
  
McShea then gave a high kick and hit Anthony under his chin, and he flew back. Although McShea looked weak, he was obviously good at martial arts.  
  
Anthony came back to McShea, blood coming out the side of his mouth, and he furiously started to punch and kick at the other man. McShea blocked the first few punches and kicks, but after awhile he seemed to weaken and he received a few hard blows to his head.  
  
Finally, Anthony was able to kick McShea square in the chest. A surprised looked on his face; McShea flew back and then fell off the balcony. A few seconds later, there was a cracking noise as McShea's body hit the rocks below.  
  
"Well, you've saved me from having to pay that fool two million dollars," McCadden said to Anthony. Then she smiled. "Shall we get started then?"  
  
I got into my fighting stance that I was used to using. And out of the corner of my eye I saw Anthony put his hands into fists.  
  
"Oh, before we begin," McCadden said. She then walked over to the side of the balcony. She pulled out a cane with a silver handle, which she threw to Anthony. "I believe that's yours," she said.  
  
Without looking down at his weapon, Anthony withdrew his sword and dropped the cane to the floor. Then he got into a fighting stance, his sword pointing out at McCadden.  
  
McCadden ran to Anthony and tried to kick the sword out of his hand.  
  
Anthony dropped to the ground and swung his leg, knocking McCadden down to the ground. Then he stood above her and brought the sword down to her chest.  
  
Grabbing his wrist, McCadden managed to stop the sword from coming down. She and Anthony then struggled over the sword.  
  
I ran over to them to try and help Anthony. When I reached them, McCadden kicked out at me, and I was hit in the chest. I flew backwards and hit my back on the balcony, getting the wind knocked out of me in the process.  
  
Meanwhile, Anthony reached out and savagely ripped a large chunk of hair from McCadden. She screamed with pain and pushed Anthony back with all her might, using her legs.  
  
McCadden got on her knees, her hand covering the place where Anthony ripped her hair off. "You bastard. I'm bleeding!" she yelled. Then she saw that Anthony was looking at her chunk of hair as if he was going to sniff it. "Look at your mute boyfriend, Angel," she said to me, smirking. "Seems he doesn't love you enough to stop smelling other women's hair."  
  
Anthony moved the hair closer to his face, but at the last minute, he held out his arm, opening his hand. The strands of hair flew out into the wind and then out towards the ocean. It was Anthony's way of showing McCadden that she was nothing.  
  
"You son of a bitch!" McCadden yelled. She got up and ran over to Anthony and kicked the sword from his hand.  
  
Anthony hit McCadden on her shoulder. She dropped down to the ground and then gave a roundhouse kick, trying to trip him. Anthony jumped over her legs and then flipped up into the air, landing behind McCadden. Then he kicked her in the back and she feel to the ground.  
  
McCadden got up quickly, before Anthony could run and grab his sword. She kicked him in the side of the face, leaving a long bloody gash on the side of his neck. Anthony screamed and then grabbed McCadden's leg and flipped her down to the ground. He kicked her hard in the ribs and then she kicked him under the chin. Anthony staggered backwards, blood coming out of his mouth and running down his neck. McCadden got up and then kicked Anthony in the shoulder. He fell back from the force of the kick, towards the edge of the balcony.  
  
I watched helplessly, still getting my breath back, as Anthony fell over the balcony. I stood up and peered over the edge and watched him fall down to the rocks. I turned around and saw that McCadden was sneering at me.  
  
"Don't worry," she said. "The Angel and the Mute shall be reunited in heaven-soon." Then she ran to me and I jumped up-flipping in the air and landing next to Anthony's sword.  
  
I grabbed the sword and raised it high above my head. I gave a high- pitched shriek and I started to run towards McCadden, intent on stabbing her.  
  
She dropped to the ground and tripped me. I got up quickly and swung the sword, slashing her shirt.  
  
McCadden yelled as blood appeared on her blouse and kicked at me, hitting my stomach. I ran back at her and kicked her under her chin. Then I ran up to her and punched her in the nose, making it bleed. Reacting fast, McCadden then punched my own nose and it started to bleed furiously.  
  
That set off a flurry of punches and kicks between the two of us. At first, McCadden was able to get in a lot of kicks, scratching my face and arms. And she also was able to kick the wound on my leg, and it started to bleed again.  
  
After awhile though, I could see that she was weakening and I was able to kick her hard a few times. Then I kicked her legs and she fell to the ground. I wasted no time in ramming the sword down into McCadden's chest. "That's for Anthony," I hissed as she yelled out in pain. Then I pulled the sword out and took a few steps backwards. I fell down to my knees, completely exhausted.  
  
"Dylan," I heard Natalie and Alex yell.  
  
I looked up and saw them both come into the room.  
  
"Are you okay?" Alex asked, seeing the cuts I had gotten.  
  
I nodded and pointed to the cane.  
  
Natalie picked it up and came over to me, giving it to me. Then she and Alex helped me stand up. "Where's Anthony?" Natalie asked.  
  
Before I could answer, McCadden started to laugh; a crazy, wet laugh. Then she started to cough, and blood flowed down her mouth. "It's t-t-to late for you Angel, you s-still haven't won," she said. "T-there's a bomb set to g-go off a-a-at four." She started coughing heavily and then she gasped and went still. McCadden was dead.  
  
"What time is it?" I asked quietly, clutching Anthony's cane.  
  
"Two to four," Natalie said hollowly, looking down at her watch.  
  
"Let's get out of here!" Alex cried.  
  
"No!" I screamed. "Anthony, I have to get Anthony!"  
  
"We don't have time Dylan," Alex said.  
  
"He'll be killed!" I shrieked. I tried to run over to the balcony, but Natalie and Alex pulled me over to the stairs.  
  
They rushed me down to the room and then down a hallway. After going down a few flights of stairs, we came out of the mission and Natalie and Alex pulled me, running as fast as we could to get away from the building. A huge explosion then knocked us all off our feet and we fell to the ground.  
  
I got up quickly and turned to the mission. The destruction was so horrible that I pressed my hands to my mouth to silence a scream. The entire building had been leveled and even the towers had been destroyed. I was shocked.  
  
I felt Alex and Natalie grab my arms. Their touch brought me back to reality and I started to scream, "Anthony! Anthony!" I was so distressed that tears fell down my cheeks and my throat quickly became hoarse from yelling Anthony's name.  
  
There was the sound of sirens in the distance, so Natalie and Alex made me stop screaming and rushed me over to Natalie's car to get out of there before the police arrived. 


	23. XXIII: Pain and Love Anthony and Dylan

A/N: Thank you so much to villianbabe, Skyfire4, Miss Maya, Gitte and Lady- of-the-Dragons. I really appreciate that you all took the time to review my story.  
  
A/N 2: This chapter shall answer the question all of you have been asking. And there's a bunch of Anthony/Dylan WAFiness here!  
  
A/N 3: Now when you read this, please be kind. This is my first time writing a songfic chapter and I tried to make it as good as I was able to.  
  
A/N 4: Since this chapter took a long time to write, I would be eternally grateful if when you review if you could tell me what you liked about this particular chapter! Thank you, Merci Beacoup, Gracias, and Danke!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie's Angels or its characters. The lyrics in this chapter are from the song 'Iris'. It doesn't belong to me, it belongs to the Goo Goo Dolls.  
  
XXIII  
  
Pain and Love  
Anthony and Dylan  
  
Pain, so much pain. Throbbing, burning, hurting.  
  
These were the sensations he came out of the blackness to.  
  
Pain in his shoulder, pain on his face and pain in his leg.  
  
He felt the pain, but was he alive, or was he in the depths of hell, condemned because he was a sinner?  
  
He raised his hand and saw the wound there. It trickled blood. He closed his eyes and a small tear escaped unnoticed from his eye. He was alive  
  
When everything feels like the movies  
Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive  
  
He sat up slowly and looked around him. He was on the sand, waves washing over him. He had survived the fall from the balcony, landing on top of McShea's body. And he had survived the explosion, which had rained down burning debris onto the rocks, by going into the cool water.  
  
He stood up, feeling the blood from his wound in his leg mix with the salt water dripping from his clothes.  
  
More pain. Agony just to walk.  
  
But he had to leave; he needed to get back to his Angel. Go back to Dylan.  
  
He climbed up to the ruins of the mission. He avoided the police and firemen easily. He walked to the street and saw a car that had the keys in the ignition. He got inside and drove off as fast as he could.  
  
He would be with his Angel soon.  
  
And all I can taste is this moment  
And all I can breathe is your life  
'cause sooner or later it's over  
I just don't want to lose you tonight  
  
Dylan  
  
I barely remember what happened after I sat down in Natalie's car, my body was numb and I couldn't hear anything except for my own breathing. All I remember of the drive back to my house is that I let the tears fall down my cheeks.  
  
I was in mourning. For Anthony. He had to be dead. If somehow he had survived the fall, the explosion would have definitely killed him.  
  
I think that Alex and Natalie were really worried about me. I had never really cried so much in front of them. They probably tried to comfort me in the car, telling me that it would be all right.  
  
They didn't understand at all. They both had boyfriends who didn't go out and risk their lives nearly everyday. They didn't have to pray that they would be able to see their boyfriends at the end of the day, to be able touch and hold them again.  
  
And I'd give up forever to touch you  
'cause I know that you feel me somehow  
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be  
  
Natalie pulled up in front of my house and got out quickly to help Alex get me out of the backseat. Together, they helped me walk to the back of the house, where they got my extra house keys and they led me inside.  
  
They took me to my room and made me lay down on the bed. I started to become more aware of what was going on around me then. But I stayed quiet and listened and watched as Natalie and Alex started to clean me up.  
  
"Well, she's not in shock," Alex said. She had just started to clean the wound on my leg and I had hissed in pain.  
  
"She's upset over Anthony," Natalie pointed out as she cleaned the cuts on my face.  
  
"Oh," Alex said. They then continued to clean my wounds in silence. "I didn't realize that they had become so close," Alex said a few minutes later as they helped me change into a clean pair of black pants and a plain white t-shirt.  
  
They set me down on the bed again, and then they stood next to it. They looked awkward and out of place.  
  
"Dylan, do you want us to stay?" Natalie asked softly.  
  
I shook my head slowly.  
  
"Are you sure?" Alex asked.  
  
I nodded firmly.  
  
"All right, but if you need anything, call either one of us okay?" Natalie said.  
  
I nodded again. Then they left the room. A minute later, I heard Natalie's car roar down the street.  
  
I got out of the bed and stumbled to the doorway where they had left Anthony's cane. I picked it up and limped back to the bed. As I sat down on the edge, I decided to stay up and see if Anthony would come back to me. If morning came and he didn't come, then I would know he was dead.  
  
'cause sooner or later it's over  
I just don't want to miss you tonight  
  
The hours passed by quickly. And every creak, every sound that I heard in the house, I listened closely to see if it was Anthony. Every time, though, it wasn't.  
  
Three o'clock passed then four, then five and then it was six. I got up from the bed and went to my balcony. With Anthony's cane dragging behind me, I looked around the neighborhood. There was nothing out of the ordinary.  
  
I went back into my room and it finally sunk in that Anthony was dead. I fell to the floor and I started sobbing.  
  
I had lost him, the man that I loved more than anyone in my life. And he had loved me back too. I had been his Angel. I was supposed to forgive his sins. Now he was dead, and he would be sent to hell.  
  
My mind was jumbled with these thoughts as I cried on the floor in the middle of the room. I then heard a creak; someone was climbing up the stairs. I looked up and listened as the footsteps came closer to my room.  
  
Looking like a ghost, Anthony appeared in my doorway. There was blood on his face, and his clothes looked damp.  
  
"Anthony?" I whispered questioningly. When he nodded slightly, I got up and yelled, "Anthony!" I ran over to him and threw my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly and kissing his cheek furiously. I was still crying, but this time from happiness.  
  
Anthony  
  
An Angel was crying for him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly to him as she kissed his cheek many times.  
  
When he had appeared in the room, he was surprised to see Dylan on her knees, sobbing. She had been crying for him, she had thought he was dead.  
  
Now he was holding her tightly. His Angel, his savior.  
  
She was clutching him so forcefully that the pain in his shoulder deepened. He ignored it though, all he needed, and wanted, was to hold his Angel.  
  
Dylan pushed back from him a little and looked up at him. "I just can't believe it," she whispered. She placed her hand on his cheek and kissed him deeply. When they broke apart she said, "I need to get you cleaned up."  
  
She led him over to the bed and lay him down. She started taking his jacket, tie and shirt off, and he didn't care. The pain had worsened, and he reached up and pulled a few strands of hair from Dylan's head. He rubbed it against his cheek and then under his nose, sighing in ecstasy.  
  
"Ow," Dylan muttered when her hair was pulled. She placed her fingers over the place where the hair had been pulled. Then she shook her head and returned to cleaning the cuts Anthony had received.  
  
A half-hour later, Dylan had finished and she sat, leaning against the bed's headboard, next to Anthony as he rested. She reached out and stroked his forehead softly before she brought her lips to his ear. "Anthony," she whispered. "I forgive your sins, every single one." Then she kissed him softly on the lips.  
  
He couldn't believe it; his Angel had forgiven his sins. She understood him like no other woman could. She knew who he was, what he had been, and she still loved him besides the fact. He realized then that he would never go back to his old life of being alone. His place was with Dylan now.  
  
And I don't want the world to see me  
'cause I don't think that they'd understand  
When everything's made to be broken  
I just want you to know who I am  
  
Dylan  
  
We stayed on the bed for a long time. Anthony had been hurt pretty badly and I had to make sure that he got some rest. We were quiet, but every once in a while I would reach out and stroke his forehead and he would touch my cheek.  
  
A while later, I noticed that Anthony was starting to fall asleep. I realized that I was tired to, so I lay down and placed my head on his chest.  
  
"I lo-love y-you, my An-Angel," Anthony said to me.  
  
I raised my head to look at him and I smiled brightly. "I love you too," I whispered to him.  
  
He placed his hand behind my head and brought me down to his waiting lips.  
  
As we kissed, I suddenly recognized that I was getting myself into a very strange relationship. But I didn't care, Anthony and I understood each other and we would work out any difficulties that would come our way.  
  
And I'd give up forever to touch you  
'cause I know that you feel me somehow  
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be  
And I don't want to go home right now  
  
And all I can taste is this moment  
And all I can breathe is your life  
'cause sooner or later it's over  
I just don't want to miss you tonight  
  
And I don't want the world to see me  
'cause I don't think that they'd understand  
When everything's made to be broken  
I just want you to know who I am  
  
I just want you to know who I am 


	24. XXIV: A Well Deserved Break Dylan

A/N: Thank you villainbabe, Lady-of-the-Dragons, K.E.Y., and Miss Maya for your lovely reviews. I am so happy that you all enjoyed the last chapter. I was really hoping that I wrote it well and it looks like I did!  
  
A/N 2: Now compared to the last chapter, this one isn't too good. This one just closes some things up. So please be kind if you review this!  
  
A/N 3: There will be one more chapter after this one and then I will be posting the sequel which I hope you'll all read!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie's Angels or its characters. Nor do I own Wolverine, The X-Men, the Promenade or Borders.  
  
XXIV  
A Well Deserved Break  
Dylan  
  
It was two days after McCadden's death that Anthony and I were called to the office.  
  
Everyone knew that Anthony had survived. Alex and Natalie had each called me the afternoon after they had left me at my house. They both had sounded really happy for me, but I got the feeling that Alex still had some doubts about Anthony.  
  
In just those two days, Anthony had nearly healed completely. I could have sworn he was almost like Wolverine from the X-Men comics.  
  
The morning that we were called to the office, Anthony sat down next to me at the kitchen table, signing that he wanted to talk to me about something.  
  
I tensed, knowing that he was probably going to tell me that he was going to go back to his apartment since 'J' was gone. I had gotten so used to Anthony being in my home, that I hated the idea of him not being here.  
  
"Is anything wrong?" I asked, dreading what he was going to sign to me.  
  
"No," Anthony said. Since he had had to stay in bed while he healed, I taught him to say a few basic words. "I would like to move from my apartment and live here with you, if that's okay?" he signed.  
  
I smiled and let out a small sigh of relief. He wanted to stay with me. "That's a great idea," I said, taking his hand and squeezing it tightly. My cell phone then ran, and I answered it. It was the call for me and Anthony to go to the office.  
  
"Hi Dylan," Alex said to me when Anthony and I entered the office. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"I'm good," I answered as I sat down next to her and Natalie on the couch. "Really relieved that all this is over, though."  
  
"How are you doing Anthony?" Natalie asked, looking past me to where he was sitting in an armchair.  
  
"I'm fine," he signed.  
  
The phone on the desk then ran and Bosley turned on the speaker box. "Good morning Angels," Charlie said.  
  
"Good morning Charlie," the three of us answered.  
  
"Congratulations on the McCadden case girls," Charlie then said. "And to you as well Anthony."  
  
"Were you able to find anything about McCadden, Charlie?" Alex asked.  
  
"Yes I did. Juliana McCadden was John McCadden's twin sister," Charlie began. "Their parents divorced when they were two, and the father got custody of John and the mother got custody of Juliana. After the divorce, Juliana and her mother moved to England."  
  
"That explains the accent she had," I said.  
  
"That's right Dylan," Charlie said. "Juliana remained in England until she was thirty years old. She then came to America where she met her brother who had changed his name to Eric Knox. It's assumed that Knox told Juliana all about his plan to kill me soon after they were reunited. A week before Knox's staged kidnapping, Juliana returned to England."  
  
"Anthony," I said, suddenly thinking of something. "Did you meet Knox's sister before the kidnapping at all?"  
  
He shook his head and signed, "Knox only spoke to me at my apartment before the kidnapping."  
  
"Why did Juliana go back to England?" Natalie asked.  
  
"Her mother had fallen seriously ill," Charlie answered. "Juliana rushed back to be with her. A few days later though, her mother died of her illness. Then the next day she received word that her brother had died, killed because of his plan to get me."  
  
The office was silent for a few moments as the information sunk in.  
  
"She must have gone crazy from grief," said out loud.  
  
"That is exactly what happened," Charlie said. "She was admitted to an asylum for a short while. And during that time, it's likely that she started to plan to get her revenge for her brother's death."  
  
Natalie sighed and shook her head. "It's so sad," she said.  
  
We were all quiet again and then Alex spoke up, saying, "Why did you call us in today Charlie?"  
  
"I think that you all deserve a vacation," Charlie said. "You'll have a week to rest before your next case."  
  
"Sounds great," I said. "I definitely can use a break."  
  
Alex and Natalie started to giggle.  
  
"There's just one more thing before you go girls," Charlie said. "Anthony, I have taken into consideration your actions during this case, and I am prepared to offer you a position with the other Angels. You won't be working as often as the girls, but you'll be going undercover and fighting when it's necessary."  
  
Alex, Natalie, Bosley and I all looked over at Anthony.  
  
He seemed to be a little overwhelmed by the attention and he looked at me. I gave him a smile and a slight nod and his eyes seemed to brighten. "Yes. I will join," he said carefully.  
  
We were in Anthony's car, driving to his apartment. I hadn't been able to get a new car, so we had taken a taxi to get Anthony's Bentley this morning. His car was black and sleek- and it suited Anthony perfectly.  
  
When we got inside the apartment, Anthony packed all his clothes into three suitcases. Then we turned off all the appliances and we left, locking up behind us.  
  
As we started driving again, I realized that I was still getting used to the fact that Anthony, my boyfriend I guess some would say, was moving in with me. I remembered when Natalie and Pete had moved in together. How worried I had gotten, thinking that they were going to get married and Natalie would leave the Agency.  
  
I wasn't worried about whether or not I would leave the Agency soon. I really doubted that Anthony and I would get married-we were both too independent. I then smiled and settled back in my seat as Anthony drove back to our home.  
  
It took about three hours until everything was put away. Anthony didn't take the full three hours to unpack though. It took me almost two hours to make enough space in the closet for his clothes and mine to fit.  
  
When everything was done, Anthony asked if we could go to the Promenade for dinner.  
  
I agreed, and we left quickly.  
  
I think Anthony liked the Promenade despite the large crowds that were always there. And I also got the feeling that we would be going there for dinner a lot.  
  
At the Promenade, we spent a lot of time walking around and looking at the stores before we ate. When we went into Borders, I bought a few books and a couple of cds. After that we ate an Italian restaurant, sitting in the back so we could have some privacy.  
  
We left the Promenade right after we ate and as we drove down the freeway towards home, I couldn't help it and I sighed in contentment. Tonight we had had a normal date and I had enjoyed every minute of it. 


	25. XXV:Soul Mate, Guardian and Lover Anth...

A/N: Well here it is, the last chapter. I want to thank Virginia Creepers, villianbabe, Miss Maya and Lady-of-the-Dragons for your reviews of the last chapter. And a humungous thanks to all the reviewers that took the time to read and review.  
  
A/N 2: I will be writing a sequel to this, so I hope that you all will read it when I post it!  
  
A/N 3: Since this is the last chapter, I would really appreciate it if you would send me an e-mail of your favorite part of this story and why you liked it. Thanks a bunch.  
  
A/N 4: There is some mentionings of sex and nudity (nothing graphic). And I really hope that you like this chapter as I'm not too sure about it.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Charlie's Angels or its characters.  
  
XXV  
Soul Mate, Guardian and Lover  
Anthony and Dylan  
  
When they got home, Dylan told Anthony that she needed to change his bandages for the night.  
  
Rolling his eyes, Anthony allowed Dylan to lead him up the stairs and into their room. For the past two days, Dylan had been keeping close to him, almost mothering him. Although he acted like he was annoyed by it, Anthony actually enjoyed the attention he was getting from her.  
  
As he sat down on the edge of the bed, Anthony watched Dylan as she got together some medical supplies in the bathroom.  
  
Anthony thought that she was an extremely beautiful woman. Her hair was a striking copper color, and its scent was the most unique he had ever smelled. Her green eyes were very expressive, they revealed all her emotions.  
  
His last thought as he studied Dylan was about her body. As his eyes took in the woman before him, he felt a deep lust for her. He remembered that night they had been captured; he had wanted to make love to Dylan badly. And since Anthony knew that she had wanted to do the same, he decided to continue what they had started at the Orphanage.  
  
Dylan  
  
I walked into the room and I set the bandages and ointment on the nightstand. "Okay Anthony," I said, turning to him. "Take off your shirt." He did so and I started to take off the tape that was holding the gauze on his shoulder. As I took off the gauze on his neck and then his leg, I noticed that he was breathing harshly.  
  
"You okay?" I asked, looking down at him.  
  
Gazing at me intently, Anthony nodded.  
  
I threw away the gauze and I picked the bottle of rubbing alcohol and a washcloth up. As I splashed some of the alcohol onto the washcloth, I felt Anthony run his fingers up my side. "Cut it out," I muttered, pushing away his hand with my elbow.  
  
I sat down next to him and I started going over the wound on his shoulder carefully. As I was doing that, I felt his fingers brushing on my side again. "Anthony, would you stop!" I said a little annoyed. I hated to be touched on my side on that, I was very ticklish there.  
  
Smirking at me, he kept tickling me on my side.  
  
I then rubbed the wound on his shoulder hard with the washcloth and he hissed in pain. "Serves you right," I said, grinning at him.  
  
Giving a small growl in mock anger, Anthony grabbed my wrists and pushed me back onto the bed. He then raised my arms above my head and held them down with one hand. With his other hand, he started to tickle my side.  
  
I tried to move my legs to kick him, but his leg was hooked over mine so I couldn't move. I struggled for a while, and then I stopped. "Anthony, yo- you've got to, ahh, stop!" I exclaimed a few moments later.  
  
Anthony stopped tickling me, but he kept a grip on my arms and legs.  
  
We stared at one another before I raised my head and out lips met.  
  
I could feel that Anthony was a little tense at first, but then he relaxed.  
  
He lifted his hand from my side and placed it on my cheek, his thumb stroking the skin softly.  
  
I moaned and arched my back slightly, realizing what Anthony wanted to do. And knowing me, it was really amazing at how long it took me to go to bed with him.  
  
Finally letting go of my wrists, Anthony placed his hand under my head, holding my lips to his.  
  
I let me tongue dart out into his mouth and I was surprised when he moaned a little. I then wrapped my arms around his shoulders, using a finger to stroke the back of his neck.  
  
Anthony pushed himself up, breaking the kiss. "Dylan," he whispered his voice husky. "My Angel."  
  
I smiled and placed a hand on his cheek. "Anthony, my Guardian," I said, my voice husky too.  
  
His eyes widened slightly, and then he sat up.  
  
"What's wrong?" I asked.  
  
Shaking his head, Anthony signed, "It would be uncomfortable if we lay on the bed like this."  
  
I laughed slightly and I sat up. Then I moved around so that I was lying on a pillow. "Anthony," I whispered when I was comfortable.  
  
"W-what?" he asked.  
  
"I think that we've wasted more than enough time," I said.  
  
Nodding, he grabbed the buttons on my blouse and started to fumble with them. When the shirt was opened, Anthony looked down at me appreciatively, and then he kissed me over my heart. After kissing my lips softly, he trailed his lips down to my stomach.  
  
After that point, as he undressed me, I completely shut out every thought and emotion except for the feeling of Anthony's lips on my skin. And a few moments later as we made love, I felt as if something that had been missing from my life was returned to me.  
  
I woke up the next morning and I opened my eyes slightly. My clothes and Anthony's were thrown all over the room. I then realized that someone's arms were around my body. Anthony.  
  
I smiled, sighing happily. Most, if not all, of the men I had made love to left as soon as he had finished. Anthony, however, was very different. Last night he had held me close to him, stroking my hair whispering my name and calling me his angel.  
  
I closed my eyes and snuggled back into his embrace as I remembered last night and how tender he was with me.  
  
The first time we had made love it was a little awkward since we didn't really know one another that way yet. The second time was a little more relaxed, but we were still getting used to each other. The third and forth times, however, were the most wonderful experiences I ever had with sex.  
  
Obviously we didn't get too much sleep last night. Thinking that, I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. It was two in the afternoon. I turned over and looked at Anthony, he was awake.  
  
"G-good mor-morning," he said softly.  
  
I smiled and said, "I think you mean-"  
  
Anthony quickly interrupted me by kissing me intently.  
  
My eyes rolled back and I closed them tightly, enjoying the sensations I was feeling as Anthony rubbed his hands all over the skin on my nude body.  
  
At that point, we started to make love again. I think that my cell phone may have rang, but I was too busy enjoying the love of my guardian.  
  
And for the rest of our well deserved vacation, Anthony and I spent most of our time in bed, memorizing the feel and the look of each other's bodies.  
  
Six months isn't really a long time. But when I look back on the six months between HALO and 'J,' it seems like an eternity. Now however, time seems to pass by very quickly.  
  
I've learned an important lesson from everything that happened during the 'J' case. I learned that everyone in the world has a soul mate. As for myself, my soul mate is also my guardian and my lover. And I have a great feeling that Anthony and I will be together for a long time. 


End file.
